Different Hearts, Same Dream
by Hana Noir
Summary: *COMPLETE!!* Kyrie's deep inside The Facility, while up above Piccolo's become a one-Namek demolition crew. Will he find her in time? Or wil someone else find him first?
1. Part One: Serendipitous Encounters

(Author's note: Okay, it's not much, just a story idea that popped into my head

(Author's note: Okay, it's not much, just a story idea that popped into my head. If you think it's interesting enough to continue, write a review. That'll be enough to encourage me that I'm not just wasting my time and yours! Thanks, everyone!

And, I'm sure we all know that I don't own the series or the characters, as much as I'd like to… Well, the new character is mine, but I don't think anyone's going to be too concerned about that!)

Different Hearts, Same Dream

A DragonBall Z fic

By Hana Noir

It had been only a week since the defeat of Cell. A week since Gokou had died. The humans were already rebuilding and moving on. That idiot Mr. Satan had been hailed as a hero, embraced by the population. Piccolo was unable to control the sneer that curled his lips at that thought, exposing one ivory fangtip. Gohan had only shrugged and remarked that he and all those who were important to him knew what had happened and that was all that mattered. Piccolo didn't exactly want to shove Gohan into the spotlight; the poor kid didn't deserve that fate. He was irked because that moron wrestler had stepped in and taken credit for the feat that Gohan and the other Z warriors had suffered so much to accomplish. He scowled down at the forest beneath him. Well, he of all beings, knew that life wasn't fair. 

A sound down below caught his attention and he looked down again. Almost directly beneath his feet was a large clearing. He kept his dark gaze on the area, sensing something approach. It wasn't an animal. No forest creature was that loud, be it predator or prey. And the ki level was too high. It could only be a human. He waited, and his suspicions were confirmed when the person broke through the underbrush. He frowned, looking closer as the person shrugged out of a heavy backpack. It was a female human. He couldn't help but to wonder what would bring a female to invade the quiet of _his_ forest. It had been his experience (not that he had all that much, mind you…) that human females generally stayed in places where there were other people and modern convinces. They tended to be social creatures. He watched carefully as the young woman dug in the pocket of her ragged, cut-off denim shorts. She pulled out a Capsule case and opened it, running a finger over the numbered capsules inside. Finding the one she wanted, she pushed the button and tossed it into the middle of the large clearing. With a loud "POFP!" it transformed into a small dome shaped house. The woman smirked at the sight, then fell backwards into the slightly high grass, a smug grin on her face. She stared up at the blue, blue summer sky above her and sighed heavily. Then, she sat up on her elbows, a frown wrinkling her forehead. Piccolo started when he realized she was looking right at him. He put on a burst of speed and disappeared from her sight. _Why did I do that?_ he asked himself angrily as he came to a stop out of sight from the clearing. _If anyone_ _should have left, it should have been her! _He grudgingly admitted that he had been as startled by the sight of her as she had undoubtedly been of him. 

Several days later, Piccolo found himself perched in the top of an ancient oak tree, staring down at the strange woman again. He couldn't understand what had drawn him back to this spot but he made sure that he was well camouflaged this time. The object of his reluctant vigil was on the other side of the clearing, perched on a large boulder in the shade. There was a curious object balanced on her bare knees that she stared at intently, her slim fingers dancing over the keys imbedded in the object. Piccolo recognized it as a type of portable computer, but his knowledge of it ended there. He had never had much to do with human technology. 

He stood there on the thick limb for several hours, arms crossed, back against the huge trunk of the tree. She never looked up from what had her attention so focused. _Stupid woman,_ he though scathingly. _A saber-tooth would have her for a snack in a second. What could possibly be so enthralling about a glowing screen? _He snorted. She was stupid for not paying any attention to her surroundings. He grinned wryly; and he was equally stupid for wasting his time watching her. He pushed away from the tree and was about to take to the air when she moved. He stopped, curious as to what she would do now. She sat her laptop down and stretched, her arms and legs sticking straight out into the air. 

She picked the laptop back up and stared at the screen again, chewing on her bottom lip. Piccolo grimaced and started to leave again when a sound stopped him. He looked down at the woman again; she was speaking. Or reading, to be more precise. She was reading aloud whatever it was that she had been typing earlier. He paused to listen to her voice. It was smooth and rich, a trained orator's voice. And what she was reading was interesting. It was a story, about an alien who traveled from his people's planet to a small, unknown world seeking to make a place for himself. Fascinated, Piccolo sat down to listen. 

She read aloud for several hours, stopping occasionally to make changes or to reword lines that didn't sound quite right. Piccolo was riveted by both her voice and her story. Before either the writer or her hidden audience had realized, the sun was starting to set and mosquitoes were beginning to stir.   
"Shit… I hate mosquitoes," she muttered, executing a few quick commands and shutting down her laptop. She closed it and hopped down off of the rock, a smile of contentment on her face. Taking one last look around the clearing, she entered the capsule house, closing the door firmly behind her. Piccolo, having nothing better to do now that the woman had gone, settled down on the branch and decided to meditate.

The next morning, she was out again, carrying her computer, but she didn't go to sit on the rock this time. She set out into the woods, following a narrow deer trail until it came out at a stream flowing out of a tall hill, creating a small waterfall. She settled down on the bank and started writing. Piccolo settled overhead to watch. It occurred to him that he was spending a lot of time following this unknown woman, time that could be better spent training. _Training for what exactly? _he asked himself._ Cell is gone, the androids are no longer a threat. What's left to defeat?_ He leaned back against the new tree he had adopted as his perch, ordering his thoughts and slipping into a meditative trance. If he had searched for the truth behind his new preoccupation with the woman, he would have come to the realization that he was lonely. For the last three years, he had spent all his time with Gohan, Goku and, to some extent, ChiChi. He had grown accustomed to having company, to seeing familiar faces and hearing familiar voices. But Piccolo's stubborn streak made him a master at ignoring truths that he didn't wish to acknowledge. 

A vague sense of unease brought him back to awareness and he opened his eyes and looked around, expecting to see something out of place. The position of the sun indicated that several hours had passed, but the woman was still writing, a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead even though she was in the shade. She kept interrupting her work to rub at the back of her neck, glancing around uncertainly as she did. Finally, she stopped and put her laptop down next to one of the trees lining the bank. She knelt down at the creek's edge on a rock that jutted out to hang over the water. She bent over and plunged her head into the water, gasping as she came up. Her short, wavy auburn hair was plastered to her head and rivulets of water ran down her neck, wetting the neck of her baggy green tank top. Refreshed, she headed back to her work. 

As she sat back down, a faint sound came to Piccolo. He turned his head, his large pointed ears catching sounds from the thick brush across the creek, coming closer. He homed in on the directions that the sounds were coming from and watched intently. The bestial grunts, moans and growls indicated an animal, a large one judging by the amount of noise it was making. The woman was alert now, watching the bushes on the other side of the creek with wary eyes. Namekseijin and human alike were focused on the same area. The leaves rattled and a very large, very angry bear burst out onto the creek bank. It reared up on its thick hind legs and let out an earth shattering roar, black lips curled back to expose sharp yellow teeth. Blood was running down its side to drip onto the dirt under its feet. 

The woman was still, trying not to attract the huge predator's attention. The bear dropped back down, pacing the creek bed angrily, sniffing the air._ It's blowing from the bear's direction,_ Piccolo thought, watching. _Hopefully, it won't catch her scent._ Fickle fate chose that moment to step in, and the wind changed direction, making the woman's short hair blow. The bear let out a snort, its heavy head coming up as its nostrils flared. It turned and looked directly at the vulnerable human and charged into the water. She was on her feet and running as soon as it hit the water. Piccolo was a bit astonished by her speed and he took to the air to follow. 

She was fast, but the bear was angry and in pain. It equated the human scent with the pain in its side and was determined to catch what, in its mind, was the source of its pain. It didn't even pause to shake the water from its fur before taking up the chase. Piccolo saw the furious beast gaining on the woman, regaining the ground she had covered while it had struggled across the creek. She didn't bother to look back, only clutching her computer to her chest and pouring all the strength she had into her pumping legs. He could hear her harsh breathing as she crashed though a thick tangle of undergrowth. The bear was only seconds behind her and was gathering itself to spring when Piccolo swooped down and scooped up the startled woman up into his arms and away from the open jaws of the bear.

She stared up at her unexpected savior, face pale and sweaty, making her wide green eyes seem even bigger. Piccolo eyed her warily, hoping that she wouldn't scream. That really annoyed the hell out of him. Within seconds, they were back at the clearing and he touched down in front of the little house. Without a word, he sat her on her feet and turned away, preparing to take off again.

"Wait!" She reached out and caught his arm before he got an inch off the ground. Startled, he whirled to face her. She stood her ground, staring up at him wide eyed. "I… I know your face. I saw you there, at the Cell games." She then realized that she still had hold of his arms and snatched her hand away, blushing slightly. "You, you saved me."

Piccolo ducked his head, not quite sure how to respond. "Yeah, well, I just couldn't stand there and watch you get mauled," he said gruffly. He made as if to move away again, and she reached out again, stopping just short of touching him.

"Please, don't go. You saved me," she repeated, a look of pure wonderment on her face. "Thank you. I don't know what to say, but thank you." He nodded, his face taking on a darker hue as he actually blushed slightly. Gratitude was not something he was accustomed to. Most people took one look at him and ran screaming. 

A loud crash distracted them and they both jumped slightly. The bear, having followed the trail she had taken earlier, rushed at them out of the trees, snarling. "Persistent son-of-a-bitch," Piccolo muttered, raising his right arm. A white ki ball shot out of his hand, blowing a hole straight through the bear. It managed to look shocked as it slumped to the ground, dead. 

"Oh…" the woman walked over to get a closer look. Piccolo grabbed for her but she was already beyond arm's reach. She looked back at him over her shoulder. "Don't worry, he's dead," she said, a note of conviction in her voice. She crouched down next to the furry mound and examined it closely. She shook her head and rose to her feet. 

"It was shot," she said, stepping away. "No wonder it was so angry and hurt. Some irresponsible moron must have shot it and not bothered to track it down." She looked angry about that. "You just ended its suffering, that's all." 

He snorted, making a mental note to keep an eye out for anyone with a gun in the future. "I'll get it out of here." He reached out and grabbed a handful of the loose hide. He started to rise, keeping a tight grip on the heavy corpse. 

She looked worried for a moment. "Will you come back?" She tilted her head back to see him as he hovered. "I don't even know your name," she admitted wryly. 

Piccolo hesitated, torn by his newfound need for companionship and his dislike for most humans. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "But my name is Piccolo."

She smiled, and it seemed to light up the entire clearing. "Thank you, Piccolo." He nodded and started to rise again. "I'm Kyrie," she said softly as he disappeared in the distance.

Piccolo took one last look back. "Kyrie…" he said, the wind swallowing the word. 


	2. Part Two: Tenative Beginnings

(Author's Note: Okay, this part shot off on a tangent that I hadn't anticipated and I'm not entirely sure if I like where it's going or not

(Author's Note: Okay, this part shot off on a tangent that I hadn't anticipated and I'm not entirely sure if I like where it's going or not. Therefore, it might get re-written depending on the feedback I get. Let me know what you think.) 

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Part Two

A DragonBall Z fic By Hana Noir

Kyrie came outside every day for a week, hoping to see him again. She wrote, but it wasn't the same as before. Her focus was off. She found herself distracted by the least little noise or movement. On the sixth day, she threw up her hands, disgusted with herself.

"The entire point," she muttered to herself as she gathered up sunblock and several large towels, "was to come out here, relax, write that book you've been obsessing about for the last year and BE ALONE!!!" _And free,_ her mind added. She slammed out of the capsule house and headed for the creek. 

She had discovered that the wider area at the foot of the little waterfall was actually deep enough to swim in. And that was what she planned on doing today. She spread her towel out on the outcropping of rock and stripped off her clothes. Today's tank top was orange, a particularly lurid shade that she only wore because it was the last clean one she had. The shorts had started out life as a pair of jeans. They had seen better days, as the denim was cloth thin and almost white from wear. She kicked them off onto the large towel, and heaved a sigh. Skinny-dipping was always something that she had wanted to do. With a mischievous grin, she waded into the water. It was colder than she thought and she shivered, goosebumps blossoming everywhere. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and jumped in. Gasping and grinning at the same time, she burst to the surface, shaking the water out of her eyes. She did a back flip, then swam for the bottom, looking at the churning area where the water fell into the creek. It was interesting from this angle. She kicked to the surface, sucking air into her lungs as soon as she cleared the water. After several minutes of aquabatic maneuvers, she floated on her back, contemplating the dappled pattern of shadows created by the gently stirring leaves overhead. The water rocked her gently and it was almost enough to lull her to sleep…

The sound of a twig snapping loudly startled her and she submerged briefly, swallowing a mouthful of water. She popped back up to the surface, staring around wildly, several different scenarios going through her mind. Raccoons stealing her clothing, a lost hunter stumbling across her swimming spot, another bear??? None of this prepared her for the sight of Piccolo perched on the edge of the rock holding her belongings, staring down at her. She looked up, astonished, treading water reflexively. 

She said the first thing that came to mind. "Long time, no see," she quipped. Piccolo blinked, looking briefly startled before his customary impassive look slid into place. She swam for the bank, teeth chattering when a brisk wind blew across the surface of the water. "Since you're there," she said, pushing water off of her arms and shaking drops off of her hands. "Could you toss me that fugly orange shirt?" The mentioned item almost hit her in the face. "Thanks," she said, voice muffled as she slid it over her head. It clung to her damp skin, but reached all the way down to mid thigh. She climbed up onto the rock and sat down on the towel, slightly behind Piccolo. He stared up at the blue sky, not turning around. 

"So," she said, wondering why he had bothered to come back. "What brings you here? I'm pretty sure it wasn't the free peepshow." Piccolo jumped as if he'd been hit with an electrical shock and finally moved around to face her. 

He considered her question, watching her closely. He'd found himself heading here several times in the last few days and had always managed to turn back at the last minute, but today, he hadn't been able to stop himself. He finally shrugged. He had a reluctant fascination with the young woman. He was fairly sure that any other female would have been shrieking her lungs out if he'd caught her in the buff. 

"I can't figure you out," he finally said, looking a bit surprised that he had spoken aloud.

"Good," she said with a smile, laying back on the warm rock. "I can't figure you out, either. And rather than waste my time trying, I'm just going to enjoy your company when you decide to share it with me." He shook his head. She was just too much.

"Hey, Piccolo," she said after the silence stretched out between them for several minutes. "Can I ask you something?" He looked at her with a bit of trepidation, unable to figure out what she might want to know. She took his silence for consent and asked her question. "You were at the Cell Games, right? Who _really_ did it? Beat Cell, I mean. I absolutely **refuse** to believe that posing jackass Mr. Satan did it." 

He was so amused that he actually let out a short, gruff laugh. "Truthfully? It was Gohan that finally did it." At her blank look, he elaborated. "The blonde haired kid."

"Ah," she said, arching an eyebrow. "The mysterious delivery boy. I don't know who was the bigger moron there, the newscaster or Mr. Satan. They were pretty darn close to tying for the title of "World's Blindest Idiot." He couldn't hide his grin at her pithy assessment of the men. "Hell, even I could tell Satan didn't have a chance." She grinned then. "Of course, I could probably take him down in a fight. He's such a loser." Piccolo agreed totally. 

Kyrie shrugged. "Anyway, it's all over with now. I'm just glad I wasn't anywhere near where it happened though. It looked like a really messy fight."

"It was that," Piccolo agreed. 

Kyrie yawned, shooting him an apologetic look. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night." Piccolo nodded. "And now I'm getting sleepy. But, if I sleep now, I won't sleep again tonight. It's a vicious cycle." She yawned again. 

Piccolo shrugged. "Does it matter?" She looked at him oddly. "You're not on any kind of schedule are you?" Realization dawned in her eyes and she shook her head. 

"You've got a point," she said. "I'm so tired that I could go to sleep right here." She grabbed her shorts and shoes and put them back on, gathering up her towels. "Want to walk back with me? I've got a pretty good trail worn out by now." He shrugged and she stood. As she stepped forward, her sandal caught in a split in the rock and she teetered backward, arms windmilling wildly. She landed in Piccolo's lap with a grunt and his arms went around her in an automatic reflex.

She head was bowed and her shoulders were shaking and for a moment, Piccolo was worried that she had somehow managed to injure herself, then he realized that she was laughing silently. She finally looked up at his face and sputtered aloud. "Sorry, sorry," she got out between chuckles. "It was just too silly." She placed her hands on his wide shoulderguards and pushed herself to her feet. He snorted and rose to his feet. Looking down at her made him realize how small she actually was. Bulma probably had a few inches on her. 

"I'm quite perturbed with you, you know?" she said as they walked through the trees. 

He gave her a startled look.

"I haven't written but about two chapters since I last saw you," she explained. "If there's one thing I can't resist, it's a good mystery. And you, Piccolo, have mystery written all over you." She smiled wryly. 

"Hn," Piccolo grunted, crossing his arms. Then he countered with a question of his own. "So what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere in the first place?"

She slowed, looking up at him, all traces of mirth gone. "I'm running away," she said softly. "I've always been running away." She shook her head, then moved faster, gliding through the trees like a shadow. Piccolo stared after her, the confusion he felt never showing on his stony face. 

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!!_ she berated herself as she came in sight of her house. _Why did you have to be such an idiot??_ She slid to an abrupt halt at the edge of the clearing when she realized that Piccolo was leaning against the side of the house, a smirk on his face. "How—how did you beat me here?" 

He grinned smugly. "I'm faster than I look." He pushed away from the curved surface and strode over to tower over her. She looked up at him, a faint sneer forming.

"Size doesn't intimidate me, Piccolo," she said, scorn in her voice. "I've always been the littlest kid on the block."

She had a fighter's spirit, he thought with grudging admiration. A slight grin pulled at his mouth and he let it. She gave him a suspicious look, not relaxing even a fraction. He took several deliberate steps back and she eased up a bit. 

"So," he said. "What exactly are you running from?" 

"Life," she said flippantly. "People. Take your pick. Generally speaking, I don't have much use for the rest of the human race." She gave him a look that said that she wasn't about to give him a straight answer. He shrugged. 

"Why are **you** out here?" she shot back, dropping her things inside the front door, then turning to face him again. 

"I'm not a people person," he said, sarcasm dripping in his tone, turning his back to her. 

"What a coincidence, neither am I," she replied just as sarcastically. "Which brings us to the next question. What are we doing even talking to each other?" Her voice sounded odd and he turned around. She was upside down, balancing on her left hand, body straight as a board. 

He blinked. "What are you doing?"

She did a few one handed pushups, then replied. "Being goofy. It's one of my more well developed personality traits."

He laughed, the sound a bit rusty. "You've escaped from an asylum, haven't you?"

She pushed off the ground, executed a perfect somersault and landed on her feet. "You could say that," she said, sounding slightly upset. 

Then in one of her lightening swift mood swings, she was giving him a speculative look. "Hey, you can fly right?" He nodded, wondering where this line of questioning would lead. "How do you do it?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. He considered the question. 

"It's a manipulation of ki," he said slowly. "You use ki to propel yourself." He looked at her to see if she was comprehending his words. She was holding a small rock in her hand, tossing it up and down. 

"I think I understand what you mean," she said slowly. "Is it anything like this?" She held her hand out, fingers open and palm flat, the rock sitting in the middle of her hand. It shuddered slightly, then rose a few inches off of her palm. His eyes widened. He could feel the energy she was using to lift the stone and while it wasn't much, it had potential. 

"Close," he said. "But you'll need more than that to lift yourself."

"Could you teach me?" she asked, the rock back in her hand. She closed her fingers tightly around it, the grip whitening her knuckles. 

Piccolo thought about it. Gohan had been the only person he had ever taught and he couldn't see using the same training tactics on this slight human girl as he had used on the half-Saiyan. He opened his mouth to refuse and was astonished to hear himself saying, "I don't know. Maybe." _What the hell am I doing?!?_

She let out the breath that she had been holding, relaxing finally. Her hand fell to the side, fist uncurling. A rain of tiny pebbles slipped though her fingers to patter to the ground. Piccolo's eyes widened. Who, or what, was she? 

He extended a hand to her. "How strong is your grip?" he asked curiously. She gave him an odd look and reluctantly grasped his hand as if to shake it. "Don't hold back," he advised. "You can't hurt me." Something darkened in her eyes at his words, then she started squeezing. He stood passively as she bore down with all her might. He didn't flinch, even though the pressure she was exerting was enough to crush the bones of a normal human. He extended all of his senses as she held his hand. There was a great deal of ki potential in her, but it was unfocused and untrained. She was strong, stronger than the average human, and he could sense something that made her more than human. She wasn't an Artificial Human; he couldn't sense anything from them and he could definitely sense something from her. Her ki was different from that of Kuririn or Yamucha, but nothing like Goku or Vegeta. She wasn't part Saiyan. But she wasn't a normal human. She was an enigma. 

"Enough," Piccolo said, pulling his hand from her grip. She stared up at him, green eyes wary and hopeful at the same time. His own eyes narrowed. "What are you?"

She flinched and took a step back. "I'm nothing."

"I don't think so, little girl." He took a step toward her. "I'll ask you again. What are you?" 

She held her ground, her eyes sparking. "Don't push me," she warned, her voice low. "I won't be pushed again!"

Piccolo took another step and suddenly a flash of light burst from her, making her hair whip wildly. A wall of concussive force slammed into the Namek and slung him backward. It had happened so quickly that he hadn't even had time to shield. He landed flat on his back, the air rushing out of his lungs, making him gasp and cough. _Damn…_he thought with a touch of admiration.

It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Kyrie looked around wildly. The grass was flattened for a ten foot radius around her and the ground beneath her was scorched slightly. She saw Piccolo still on his back and she staggered to his side and fell to her knees. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw him looking back at her. "Ah, hell," she said softly. "I tried to warn you. Are you hurt?" He gave her a slightly scornful look and rose to his feet, looking around for his turban, which had come loose and bounced away. 

"You're a human," he said, reaching down and lifting her to her feet. "But you're different."

"Yeah, well," she muttered, avoiding his eyes. "What are you?"

"No," he caught her by the arm, making her look at him. "No quick change of the topic. I want answers." She tried to pull away, but he held her still. 

"I don't know!" she shouted, her face furious. "I'm a freak!! Something that never should have been allowed to live!! I'm an experiment gone bad, someone's idea of a sick joke, okay??"

He marched her over to the rock that she sat on to write and plopped her down. "Explain. Now."

"I don't know all of it," she shot back. "All I know is that a government agency got the bright idea that they could create some sort of ultimate soldier. They started experimenting with genetic engineering." She shuddered. "They created some of the most god-awful abominations I've ever seen, awake or in nightmares. I was supposed to be their 'perfect model'." Piccolo hid his distaste. _Damn humans,_ he thought, _meddling where they had no business. That was the same kind of mentality that had given birth to Cell._ "They said I was unstable," she continued. "They couldn't control my abilities. They decided that the project was a failure."

"And they just let you go?" he asked, astonished by the stupidity of humans once again.

"Of course not," she said tartly. "I escaped. I'd been planning it for a while. They made me too intelligent." She snorted. "The idiots. A soldier doesn't need intelligence. Or a conscious. But I have both. And I wasn't staying around long enough to find out what had happened to all of the other 'failures'." 

Piccolo was stunned. Just when he thought humans couldn't sink any lower, something managed to surprise him. "How long ago?" he asked.

"Six months," she sighed. 

"So that's what you meant by 'running'," he stated. She nodded, head bowed. "They're still after you?"

"Yeah, I tried living in some of the big cities, figuring that I could hide among all the people, but that didn't work," she said with a shrug. "So, I came out here. I thought I'd finally be alone." She wrapped her arms around her ribs, hugging herself. "I can't stand to be around people. All the noise, the constant noise! It made me think I was going crazy!!"

**_Can you hear me like this?_**

She gasped, her head snapping up and her eyes meeting Piccolo's in astonishment. "Wha—wha…" 

Piccolo shook his head in disgust. Really, humans had no idea what they were tampering with. "You're telepathic. That's why you couldn't stand to be around people." He sat down on the ground cross-legged and stared up at her. "I can't believe how monumentally stupid humans can be." He caught her glare and snorted. "You have no idea of what you can do. The least I can do is give you some basic training. That way, you'll be less of a danger to yourself and anyone around." 

"Gee, thanks so much," she said with a hint of her customary wry humor. 

"Don't mention it," he shot back, winning a small smile from her. "How can you be so damned cheerful?" he asked rhetorically.

"It's quite simple," she said softly. "If I didn't laugh, I'd have to cry."


	3. Part Three: Painful Revelations

(Author's Note: Okay, it took me a while to get this part out, Real Life was persistant in its efforts to keep me from writing

(Author's Note: Okay, it took me a while to get this part out, Real Life was persistant in its efforts to keep me from writing. This part is a little short, but that's where it ended, so, ::shug:: what can I say? I'll try to get part 4 out ASAP, so please read, review, let me know what you think!)

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Part Three

A Dragonball Z fanfic by Hana Noir

True to his word, Piccolo showed up every morning to work with Kyrie. He was amazed at how quickly she learned. She simply absorbed information like a sponge. It had taken her less than a day to master meditation techniques. He spent the second day showing her how to shield her mind. The third day started out gloomy and went downhill from there. By the time he reached the little capsule house, the sky was black, rain whipping downward in torrents. Lightening speared jaggedly across the treetops and thunder shook the ground. 

Scowling, Piccolo touched down in the clearing to find the little house dark. _Lazy kid, still asleep I bet,_ he snorted, heading for the door. A flash of something white off to the side caught his eye and he turned. Kyrie was standing atop the rock at the edge of the clearing. Her face was turned up to the lashing rain and she was clad in only an oversized white t-shirt that was plastered to her body. The spitting lightening reflected in her eyes, making her look eerie for a moment. 

"Crazy," Piccolo muttered under his breath, heading for her. She glanced at him as he approached then turned her attention back to the raging skies.

"Isn't it magnificent?" she asked, raising her arms as if to embrace the storm. "It's so… wild and free. It makes me feel, oh, I don't know. Powerful."

"It's a storm," he said flatly. "And you're going to get sick if you stay out here."

"Nah, enhanced immune system," she said matter-of-factly. "I don't get sick." She whirled on the slick rock, maintaining perfect balance. "I'm just too wired to stay inside." She leapt down to the grass and grinned up at Piccolo. It was a wild grin, with a hint of mischief. Suddenly she tapped him on the shoulder. "Tag!! You're IT!" she called out. "C'mon, Piccolo! Catch me if you can!!"

_Little minx,_ he thought with a bit of humor. _Let her see what real speed is, then._ He put on a burst of speed and appeared in front of her. Instead of freezing as he had expected, she dropped to the ground, sliding at him feet first, the motion aided by the wet grass. She went through his outstretched legs in the blink of an eye. Surprised by the unexpected tactic, Piccolo whirled, only to see her disappearing into the trees. He had to admit that it was a pretty good idea. In the trees, he wouldn't be able to move as quickly. A competitive grin pulled at his lips and he headed into the trees after her. But what she didn't realize was that he could follow her simply by homing in on her ki. She was somewhere up ahead, slightly to the left. There was a trail of broken branches going in that direction, and he knew he was mere seconds behind her. 

The trail ended abruptly and he swiftly surveyed the surroundings. She had to be here, he could sense her, and besides, she couldn't fly. So she had to be-- He looked up in time to see her coming at him. She had climbed up onto an overhead branch and jumped down on him. They landed in a tangled heap on the wet leaves that covered the forest floor. She was laughing, delighted that she had managed to surprise him. A part of him wanted to respond to her childlike glee, but he just couldn't do it. His emotions were something that he controlled ruthlessly. He believe that you controled your emotions or your emotions controlled you. There could be no middle ground. Could there…? 

"Enough," he said, catching her arm. Her laughter cut off abruptly and she looked up at him, startled. He climbed to his feet and hauled her up as well. She yanked her arm away from him, becoming angry. 

"I was just playing," she said, eyes slightly hurt. "I thought we'd have some fun, that's all."

He looked down his nose at her. "I don't play," he informed her flatly. "Nor am I here to have fun."

She gave him a raking glare, starting at his feet and ending at his face. Green eyes bored into black. "How sad for you then," she said finally turning and walking away without so much as a backwards glance. He stared after her, stunned. With a snarled oath, the Namekseijin warrior leapt into the air and disappeared into the storm. 

Kyrie threw off her sodden shirt and strode across the small living room to the bedroom. She continued on into the bathroom, intent on the shower. She turned on the water, as hot as she could stand it, and stepped under the hard spray. _Jerk_, she fumed, reaching for the soap_. I was just wanting to have a little fun that's all. He didn't have to get so bent out of shape._ She didn't even noticed that not all of the water on her face came from the shower. 

It was several days before they saw each other again. She was once again perched on her rock, writing. He was in his customary tree. For several hours, they ignored each other. Finally, Kyrie shut down her laptop and looked straight up at him. "You're not hiding, you know," she said, sounding bored. 

He landed gracefully, cape billowing around him as he touched down. "If I had been hiding, you wouldn't have known I was ever here," he retorted. 

She looked up at him. "You were hiding," she flatly stated. "I never saw you. I sensed you." A smug smile turned up the corners of her mouth and she tapped her temple. "And you have quite a foul mouth, even in your thoughts." His face tightened and he scowled at her. 

She blinked, picking up on what was at the front of his mind. "I-- I'm pretty sure that's not anatomically possible," she said, trying not to laugh. "But you're welcome to try and find out."

Piccolo's teeth ground as he tried to compose himself. "I do not appreciate your mockery," he said, jaw clenched tightly. 

She rolled her eyes. "Jeeze, lighten up. I was only joking. You're way too tense." To his surprise, she walked up to him and gripped his left bicep. "Look, coiled like a spring. One day, you'll snap." He let out a deep breath. It was impossible to stay angry with someone who didn't retaliate. 

"Whatever." He shrugged and moved away. She looked after him curiously.

"You don't like for anyone to touch you. Why?" she asked. 

He gave her a dirty look and leaned against the side of her house. "I'm just not a touchy-feely person, okay?" 

"Sure, not a problem," she said, flopping down onto the grass. She checked to see that her laptop was still where she left it, then decided to take it back inside. When she came back out, Piccolo was still where she had left him. 

"Why don't you write inside?" he asked, slightly curious. 

She smiled wryly. "I spent the majority of my life in one small room. I don't like being closed in."

"How old are you anyway?" He decided to ask while she seemed to be in a mood to answer. She could be as closemouthed as he sometimes. And, he found that was actually interested in the answers.

She tilted her head, thinking. "I'm… Let's see," she counted off on her fingers silently. "Nineteen? Twenty maybe?"

"Maybe? You don't know your own birthdate?" he asked, surprised that she wasn't sure.

She snorted. "I started out life in a test tube. There's probably a dusty file somewhere with the information in it, but I can't get to it." She shrugged then and continued. "Hell, I don't even have parents. My DNA is a combination from several donors, gestated in a surrogate's womb." Piccolo blinked. She was doing a good job of hiding it, but he could tell she wasn't comfortable with the subject. 

"Why don't you try that ki technique again," he suggested, diverting her attention from thoughts of the past. "You were close the last time you tried it." She grinned and nodded. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and he could feel her ki rising. He nodded approvingly, even though she couldn't see him, watching as she focused her energy on her outstretched right hand. A small white-purple orb shimmered into being above her palm. It winked and guttered, then became larger, the size of a softball.

She opened her eyes, staring in awe at the ki ball hovering in her hand. "Neat…" she whispered. "Only, now that I've got it, what do I do with it?"

Piccolo actually grinned, feeling slightly proud of his pupil. "In a combat situation, you could throw it at your opponent." He stopped, a thought occuring to him. "Do you have any martial arts training?" She shook her head, eyes still on the ki ball.

"You were supposed to be the perfect soldier, and they didn't train you in hand to hand combat??" he asked, surprised.

"I know a few self defense techniques," she said. "But the supervisors thought it would be too much of a risk to teach me martial arts, especially once they figured out that I had above average strength and intellegence." She smirked. "I've got a 99 percent accuracy rating with just about any firearm known, though." 

Piccolo snorted. "With what I'm going to teach you, you'll never have to pick up a gun again." He looked at the ki ball again and considered. He strode across the clearing, then turned back to face her. "Throw that at me," he ordered, indicating the ki ball.

She shrugged. "Okay, you're the expert here." She closed her fingers around it then rared back and let it fly. It hurtled across the field at Piccolo, who waited motionless. He didn't bother to shield and it hit his right arm above the elbow, exploding on contact. He gritted his teeth when the limb fell to the ground. 

Kyrie let out a horrified shriek and ran over to his side. "SHIT!!!" She glared up at him. "Why didn't you dodge, you big idiot!! I know you're fast enough to have avoided it!" She stared at the stump, swallowing hard as thick purple fluid dripped to the grass. 

"Shut up and watch," he said, pushing her to the side with his remaining hand. He ground his teeth then let out a gutteral yell as a new limb shot out of the stump, glistening with fluid.

Kyrie's face was white at this display. "Damn… that was gross. Interesting, but gross," she said, looking up at Piccolo. "And what was the point here?"

He smirked at her. "Two points. One, now you know what kind of distructive potental ki has, so you won't be practicing around anything that can be damaged." She nodded. "Two, once we start hand to hand training, you won't have to worry about hurting me."

She let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, but what's to stop you from hurting me? I know you're stronger than I am." 

"Give me more credit than that," he snapped. "I know how to hold back." 

"Okay," she said, grinning in anticipation. "When do we start?"

Several hours later, they were both sweaty and, Kyrie at least, was tired. She was limping from a well placed kick that Piccolo had landed on her right hip, but she was still in the game. The longer they had sparred, the quicker she had gotten. Piccolo had to grudgingly admit that he was impressed. The only humans that he had ever observed were Kuririn and Yamucha and of the two, the little bald monk was the better. He snorted at the thought. That wuss Yamucha would have been out of the fight a long time ago. 

"That's enough for today," he said, watching her favor the right leg. "Why don't you go and soak in a hot bath, then put an ice pack on that."

She shrugged. "It'll be okay. A little pain never killed anyone." 

"I said that's enough and I meant it," Piccolo reiterated. "We're done today." 

"Sheesh, 'scuse me for living," Kyrie said, rolling her eyes. "Okay, talk with me then. How do you know so much about training someone like me?" She gingerly scooted down the side of the house, sitting with her back propped against the wall. 

Piccolo considered, then shrugged. "Just lucky, I guess." He leaned against the rock that she usually perched on and studied her. She was so petite, but her size and build were misleading. She had a core of tempered steel. 

"Fine, then," she said with a little frown, seeing that he wasn't going to elaborate. 

"Have you ever lashed out before?" he asked, trying to get some idea of how long she had been aware of the power she had buried inside. "Like you did against me the other day?"

She tilted her head up, staring at the clear blue sky above. She was silent for so long, that he was beginning to think she wasn't going to answer. "Just once," she finally said, her voice barely audible. "It was about three years ago…" Piccolo looked at her sharply. Something about the incident was disturbing her greatly. He could sense the roil of powerful emotions behind her calm façade and it bothered him for reasons that he couldn't name. 

"There was a new intern at the Facility," she grinned wryly. "The place didn't have a name, at least, none that I'd ever heard anyone use. It was always the Facility. People tended to stay there; all of the staff had been there as long as I could remember, so a new person was something interesting. Different, exciting even. The new intern was a medical student, so he was always coming in and out of my room, getting readings, collecting samples for the labs. I got used to seeing him on a regular basis. One night, I woke up to find him next to my bed. He said he was there to get some EKG readings but he didn't have any monitor leads with him. When I asked him what he was doing, he slapped me." She paused here, considering. "It really shocked me, you know? All my life, I'd been treated like some kind of delicate exotic specimen. No-one had ever raised so much as a finger to me. He grabbed me, shook me hard. I was scared silly at that moment. I couldn't even think straight. Then, he – he…" Her voice trailed off and she was staring blankly ahead. Piccolo ground his teeth, a tidal wave of rage welling up inside. He had some idea of what she was leading up to and he hadn't meant for her to dredge up unpleasant memories. 

Kyrie too a deep breath, pushing back the remembered pain and shock, shaking her head. "Anyway, when he tried to tear off my shirt, something…. I don't really know how to describe it. Something just snapped, deep inside of me. There was a loud noise, almost an explosion, and a bright flash. The next thing I knew, there was a gaping hole in the wall, and the guy's body was imbedded in the wall on the other side of the hall." She looked up at Piccolo, a wry grin on her pale face. "There was a big commotion, and some of the research staff took the guy away. I never saw him again. I don't know what happened to him." She stared down at her hands, dangling limply between her knees. "I wonder why humans so the things they do," she mused softly. "Sometimes, I wish I'd been born someone else, somewhere else, but there's not really much point to it, you know?" Piccolo said nothing, letting her talk. "More often than not, I wish I wasn't even human. Then I always remember, I'm NOT all that human to start with." She bowed her head. "Life's a bitch, huh?"

Piccolo agreed with her sentiment, but didn't see any reason to encourage her increasing depression. He could feel the turmoil in her mind, see her aura dimming. But he remained aloof. Without warning, Kyrie's hand shot out, and she slapped herself a stinging blow against the left side of her face. Piccolo was startled. What was she doing?

"That's better," she said, looking up at him but avoiding his eyes. Her left cheek was turning red. "Next time I start getting maudlin, stop me, okay?" She slowly rose to her feet, trying not to wince when the muscles in her leg protested. "I think I'm ready for that hot bath now. I'll see you tomorrow?" Piccolo only nodded, still unable to find his voice as she disappeared into the little capsule house. He stood out there, watching until the lights went out and he could sense that she had fallen into a disturbed sleep. 

"What am I doing?" he asked the twinkling stars overhead. "The last thing I need cluttering up my mind is a messed up female!" The stars gave him no answer and he settled down to meditate the night away. 


	4. Part Four: Reflections Within

(Author's Notes: Okay, here's part four 

(Author's Notes: Okay, here's part four! How's about a little peek into the mind of Piccolo? Let me know if I stayed in character or not, please? It's really important to me that I keep him in character. Thanks for reading!)

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Part Four

A Dragonball Z Fanfic by Hana Noir

Days went by and Piccolo and Kyrie settled into a routine. Each morning, he would arrive and they would spend several hours working on hand to hand techniques. Then, after a break for a quick meal, Piccolo would show Kyrie how to manipulate and control her ki. Neither of them mentioned any of their previous conversations, and no attempts were made to discuss anything other than martial arts. 

"Say, Piccolo," Kyrie said, dodging a vicious left jab and trying to kick his knee. "I was wondering…" She did a backflip and avoided his roundhouse kick. Springing up, she caught him across the jaw with her foot. 

Piccolo grunted; she had been getting stronger and that shot to the face had stung. "Wonder later," he growled, grabbing the front of her shirt and tossing her backward. Kyrie stumbled, trying to keep her balance as her larger opponent came barreling at her, fists ready. She dropped to the ground, letting him shoot over her head, but he was faster than she was. Piccolo grinned when he planted his foot in her unguarded side and sent her flying across the clearing. She crashed into some bushes and disappeared from sight. There was a thud, and then silence.

Landing in the center of the clearing, Piccolo crossed his arms and waited for her to come out after him. Several seconds passed by, and she hadn't reappeared. "Don't tell me you're giving up all ready," he called out, taunting her. There was no answer. A small frission of worry shivered down his spine and he thawed enough to call her again. "Kyrie??"

"Hey, Piccolo." He let out the breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding and moved toward the direction of her voice. "I… I need some help here," she said quickly. The Namekseijin peered into the shadows concealing the thick undergrowth and found his erstwhile student lying on her back in the center of a thick growth of what appeared to be wild rosebushes. The wide, thorny runners were wrapped around her arms and legs, even tangled in her hair. 

"I can't get loose!" Kyrie exclaimed, trying not to move at all. "These damn things are like razors!" Piccolo fought a losing battle with a grin and moved in closer to help her get out. Ignoring the thorns, he untangled them slowly, mindful of the scratches already evident where her clothes had not protected her. 

"Hold still," he said gruffly as he maneuvered a long piece away from her face.

"No, you think?" she asked sarcastically as the branches were untangled and discarded. After about ten minutes, she was free. Kyrie groaned as she struggled to her feet. "I feel like a pincushion," she complained. "I think my back is full of thorns." Back out in the clearing, she twisted around, trying to reach the thorns still in her skin. "And I don't think I can get them out." 

Piccolo grimaced, looking at the mess of her back. There was a fair number of the vicious thorns stuck in there, and quite a few long scratches that were bleeding. He couldn't leave her like that. "Pull up your shirt," he ordered, moving around behind her. Kyrie blinked, but complied. The shirt was ripped and dirty, pretty much ruined, so she went ahead and pulled it off over her head, wincing when the motion pulled at the injuries on her back and arms. "This sucks…. I really liked that shirt."

"Quit griping," Piccolo muttered, selecting his first target. Kyrie yelped when he pulled out the thorn. 

"I'll bet you're enjoying this," she accused. "Sadist." She gritted her teeth and endured each tug as he patiently extracted each and every thorn from her skin. When he reached her sides, she began to squirm. Each touch of his hand was sending shivers up and down her spine. Finally, the sensation built to the point where she couldn't take any more.

When Kyrie jerked away, collapsing into hysterical laughter, Piccolo was taken aback. Then he realized that he had been accidentally tickling her while he removed the thorns. A tiny grin pulled at the corners of his mouth and he actually chuckled. Kyrie looked up, tears still in her eyes. "Oh, it can laugh! Be still my foolish heart!!"

"I'll show you laughing," he growled, planting his foot on her denim clad behind and pinning her to the ground. 

"Hey!!" She writhed in vain; Piccolo had the advantage in size and strength. She couldn't get away. 

"Let this be a lesson to you," he said in a conversational tone as he quickly moved his foot and trapped her again with his knee, kneeling over her. "When grappling with an opponent that is both larger and stronger, never let yourself be pinned. And also," his grin grew wider and more demonic, showing the points of his fangs. "Never let the enemy know when they've hit a vulnerable point." So saying, he attacked her sides with his nimble fingers. Kyrie shrieked, unable to escape. 

Piccolo was actually smiling; not smirking, not grinning sarcastically, but smiling. But for a moment, he had the oddest sensation of being outside himself, watching as he _played_ with this strange girl. What was this odd feeling of duality he was experiencing?? 

**_You never would admit it, would you?_** came an echo of his own voice. **_When you met the other Namekseijin, when you saw how they really were, you wanted to know what that was like, didn't you? To be as caring and as open as they were. You saw how the elders treated the children, playing with them, teaching them, LOVING them. You've always wanted that, but you just couldn't admit it, even to yourself. The great Demon King Piccolo never needed anybody. Ever. It would have meant you were weak, soft. But if you learned anything, anything at all from Gokou and Gohan, it should have been that feelings don't make you weaker, they make you stronger! _**With a gasp, Piccolo surged to his feet, shaking his head in a vain effort to silence the mocking little voice that seemed to have taken up residence there. The sudden revelation had shaken him as nothing else ever had. 

It had taken Kyrie a moment or two to catch her breath when Piccolo had stood so abruptly. He was backing away from her as though he had been burned. Still breathing a bit heavily, she looked up at him. The pallor of his face surprised her. It was like he'd seen a ghost or something. "Piccolo?" She managed to get to her feet and took a step toward him, hand held out. He actually flinched away from her. "What's wrong?"

His eyes were wide, almost childlike in confusion. "I – I don't know. I… have to figure this out alone." He leapt up and was gone before she could speak. 

Left behind in the tall grass, Kyrie hugged herself tightly as a shiver rippled over her. "Oh, Piccolo. You've always been alone haven't you?" she whispered. She had sensed his sudden confusion and uncertainty and knew that there was nothing she could do to help.

Moron. Idiot. Fool. Jackass. I could continue with the list for hours, but what it all boiled down to was… I'm just plain stupid. Disgusted with himself, Piccolo scowled out at the mountainous terrain spreading out below him. What's wrong with me? I never used to have such thoughts. Maybe I just need to meditate… Actions followed thoughts and he settled down in a lotus position and tried to clear his mind. 

******************

_Hate. My first breath of life was contaminated with it. My dying parent had been consumed by it, ruled by it. Hate was all he knew. I had been given life by hatred and it shaped me. I cared for no-one and nothing. I had been created for revenge and revenge was all there was for me. Growing up had been hard and alone. Fortunately, I didn't have the needs of a Human child. I would have never survived. I learned quickly not to show myself to humans. I lived like a hunted animal, hiding from everyone and everything. And hating… Oh, how I had hated. I hated humanity for their treatment of me, I hated my father for giving me life and most of all I hated myself for not having the strength to find another path other than that of blind hatred and violence. Although honestly, I had no idea that there was another path for me. Not until Gokou…_

I remember fighting him with an almost instinctive hatred. Not my hatred, after all, I personally had never suffered at his hand. The hatred of Gokou was just another of my father's unwelcome legacies. And when, at last, it was all over and my death loomed before me, I was grateful, GRATEFUL, that my wretched life was at an end. And then, Gokou did something that was totally incomprehensible to me…

He saved my life. 

Never mind that it wasn't worth saving. Never mind that had the situation been reversed, I would have watched him die slowly and smiled the whole while. He showed that rare trait known as compassion and gave me a sensu bean. I cursed at him, threatened him and his with slow painful deaths and the idiot still spared my life!! 

Gokou showed me the door. But it was his son, Gohan, that opened it for me. At first, I admit, I saw the child as a means to an end. A way to defeat the approaching Saiyajin and to strike a blow at my not quite so hated enemy Gokou. But the first time he turned those trusting eyes to me, fully secure in the belief that I would allow no harm to come to him, something changed inside me. For the first time in my entire existence, I placed the welfare of another being before my own. I never let on, of course. The only way that I could express my feelings was to take the blow meant for him. In that moment, I knew what it felt like to have someone care for me. My existence mattered to Gohan. And when I was gone, there was someone who remembered me with something other than hatred. Someone actually lo—l—

****

Oh, for Kami's sake, you idiot. You can't even admit it in the solitude of your own thoughts can you?? Love. There. It's not a hard word, you know. Love. L-O-V-E. Four little letters.

What the hell???

****

Hello, Piccolo, this is your subconscious speaking. I've been patiently waiting for you to acknowledge the truth, but it seems like you prefer to wallow in your own misery. Well, guess what? You're just as fallible as everyone else in the universe. Welcome to life among the living. 

Great, even in my own mind, I'm a smartass. At least some things are consistent.

****

Ah, ah! Let's not get distracted from our topic. What is it about the idea of caring for another person has you so spooked? After all, you cared for Gohan and all was well. Wasn't it?

Gohan… Gohan needed me… But now he doesn't…

The other voice modulated, becoming softer, wiser, a bit more paternal. **_And it hurt, didn't it, when Gohan no longer needed you to be there for him?_**

The soft answer was an eternity in coming.

__

yes… 

There was only honesty here. It was impossible to lie when your soul was laid bare and the inquisitor was your own subconscious.

**__**

Is that what you're afraid of now? That if you come to care for this girl, that there will come a time that she no longer needs you?

Yes… It felt as though a weight had lifted from his metaphysical shoulders. The burden was lighter for the speaking.

**_Much better. Now, keep going. You need to confront this issue. _**

When I came back to Chikyuu, after Frieza had destroyed Nameksei, I finally met others of my kind. And I discovered that all we had in common where physical characteristics. The others were so… so peaceful. There were warriors among their number, but they only fought when their villages where threatened. There was no love of combat for its own sake within them. That much I share with the Saiyajin. I enjoy the feel of combat, of pitting my skills against a worthy opponent in an all or nothing contest. It makes me feel truly alive! The only other thing that compares to the fire of combat is the warm satisfaction of watching a promising student develop under my tutelage. And… and that's different too. 

Even among others of my own kind, I'm still… alone…

**Did you ever think that Kyrie feels much the same as you do?**

What??

**Consider her situation. She was created as a living weapon. As were you. She is different from others of her own species. As are you. Is it too much to consider that she feels much the same as you sometimes?**

I—I never thought about it like that.

**No, you merely refused to see… **

***********

Kyrie knew that Piccolo wouldn't be coming back any time soon. She shivered as a cool breeze blew over her bare torso. "I guess I should go in," she said, falling back in the old habit of talking to herself when alone. She left the field and entered her little capsule house, staring around blankly at the sparsely decorated room. An irritated grumble from her stomach reminded her that, whatever else, she did need to eat. She moved into the kitchen, opening and closing cabinet doors, making note of the fact that her food stores needed replenishing. An unopened package of Oreos in the last cabinet caught her eye and she carried the bag back into the living room. There was a large, cushy chair next to the window and she curled up in it, tucking her legs up under her. 

Absently, she opened the bag and began to munch on the cookies. A tiny smile tugged at her lips as she remembered the first time she had eaten a cookie. She had gorged herself to the point where she had became sick. She had learned discretion since then. But she still had a sweet tooth that needed indulging from time to time. Cookies had not been on the menu in the Facility. Meals were nutritionally balance and generally filling. She ate whatever she was served, never dreaming that there was more to food than that. She shook her head, not wanting to remember…

_"Eve." The child looked up at the sound of a voice on the other side of the door. Tears were running down her rounded cheeks and she sniffled softly. The door opened and a tall man with a grizzled beard stepped in. He stared down at the unhappy child, frowning._

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, disapproval dripping from his tone. "Get up and quit sniveling. You have lessons scheduled for this hour."

The child stood slowly, wiping at her face with the back of her hand. "Doctor, why don't I have a mother or a father?"

The man snorted. "What makes you ask such unimportant questions, Eve?" He moved out of the doorway, letting her enter the hallway. 

"It's not unimportant!" she shouted, stomping one tiny foot impatiently. "I want to know!"

"Control yourself," he snapped, causing the child to flinch. "I won't ask again."

"I – I saw Doctor Morgan showing Ms. Sawaguchi some pictures of his children," she explained. "I started wondering about my parents. Do you know them?"

The doctor frowned. "I don't see why we are discussing this. It's of no importantance."

"It is to me!! I want to know!"

"Eve! Cease this at once! Do you want to spend an hour in the Box?" The child turned pale as a sheet and took a step back, shaking her head. "That's better. Now, go to the classroom. I'll be there shortly." 

Kyrie moaned softly in her sleep, shaking slightly. The package of cookies fell unnoticed to the floor. _I don't want to remember… _But once begun, the memories would not be denied.

*************

__

(Next time: What was it like to grow up as an experiment? Kyrie takes a trip down Memory Lane, and it's not exactly full of Kodak moments.)


	5. Part Five: Unwelcome Memories

(Author's note: Okay, it's Kyrie's turn 

(Author's note: Okay, it's Kyrie's turn! What kinds of memories haunt her? Let's find out, shall we?)

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Part Five

A DragonBall Z fanfic by Hana Noir

__

It was always dark here. She didn't mind the dark, but the cramped quarters made her claustrophobic. After the first few minutes, it felt like the walls were squeezing her tighter and tighter. There wasn't much air and she couldn't help but to breath in shallow gasps. The sweat poured down her back and dripped in her eyes.

"Please… let me out," she whispered. There was no answer. There never was. Once you were in the Box, you ceased to exist until the Doctor decided it was time for you to come out. Screaming did no good either. All that accomplished was a sore throat and ringing ears. She could still hear the guards laughing as they dragged her down the hallway to the cubicle known as the Box. 

"How long d'you think he'll leave her in this time?" the first had asked, smirking. 

The second laughed. "I dunno. That little stunt she pulled ought to get her three days at least." Numb, she hadn't even bothered to fight when they forced her to kneel inside the three foot high prison. What she had learned earlier had taken all the fight out of her.

__

Experiment… I'm just an experiment… Not even a real person at all…

Her frequent inquires about her background had caused the Doctor to tell her that she had been orphaned at an early age and left in his care. At first that explanation had pacified her, but as she had grown older, her need for details had been brushed aside. Determined to find the answers that she was being denied, she had stayed up after lights out and snuck out of her room. It was child's play for her to access the Facility's database from the computer in the empty office at the end of the hall. 

File after file had yielded little information until she found the one labeled "Project 42659: Eve". Eagerly she had opened it, hoping to find some clue as to her identity. The complex genetic information had taken her a while to decipher and she became increasingly upset as she scrolled through what appeared to be notes from the various doctors and researchers.

"Subject is highly intelligent," wrote one. "Standard IQ tests are too basic to begin to gauge intellect. Recommend that information access be severely limited in this case."

"Project 42659 is our most promising specimen to date," this was from Dr. Morgan, the kindly man who always told her jokes and patted her on the head. It hurt to see the stark truth of his involvement in her development. "I have been encouraged to develop a closer relationship with 42659 in the hopes that she will come to see me as a 'father figure'. This has been relatively easy as the child is trusting and starved for attention. Keeping her isolated has worked well in controlling her." 

"The metabolic enhancements made to the subject seem to have the added effect of increasing her dietary efficiency. She can survive on almost any food, no matter how poor the quality. There seems to be an increased dependence on proteins, however, which manifests in a craving for red meat."

She scrolled down through the entries, stopping when she noticed some dated for this year. "Project 42659 started out promisingly enough, but there have been problems in the last year. The subject is actually too intelligent for our purposes. Another use may have to be found for this specimen." Another file was cross-referenced, which caught her attention. Project 43718: Adam. 

__

There was a detailed physiological workup next, with a graph showing how the "subject" differentiated from the norm for her age, build and gender. Eve pondered over this for several seconds, finger tracing the red line that spiked sharply above the blue baseline. 

Then, she had found the pictures of the "defective specimens". Tears of horror filled her eyes at the sight of the twisted bodies and descriptions of the fractured minds. Quite a few had the word TERMINATED in red at the top of the file. Then she saw that number again. 43718. She clicked the file and it opened. At the top was a picture of a boy, at least a year younger than her, with blonde hair. Before she could began to read the information, the screen began to blink and an alarm went off. 

Startled, she turned to run for the door, only to find the Doctor waiting there for her, flanked by two guards. He shook his head sadly. "You just had to be curious, didn't you, Eve?" 

"Why did you lie to me?" she shouted, hands fisted at her sides. "You said I had a family!"

He looked at her coldly. "Lie? About what? Your parents? I told you exactly what you wanted to hear. Did you want the truth?" She flinched at the anger in his voice. 

"I want it now," she said defiantly. "Who am I?

The Doctor laughed. "You're a freak of science, 'Eve'. The first in a line of genetically manufactured soldiers. You were born in a laboratory for the sole purpose of study. You're nothing more than a specimen for our use. The outside world has no idea that you even exist." His grey eyes narrowed dangerously. "And you would do well to remember that, girl." She blanched as the meaning of his words sank in. "I think this little escapade has earned you some time in the Box." He motioned to the guards. "Take her."

She didn't even bother to even struggle as they grabbed her. What was the use?

*************

With a strangled gasp, Kyrie jerked out of her troubled sleep. A shaking hand wiped the sweat from her face as she breathed harshly, the sound echoing in the dark, empty room. She stood quickly, trembling. For a moment, in her dreams, she had been back in the Box. Driven by some compulsion she couldn't fathom and didn't bother to question she turned on every light in the house and headed for the bathroom. 

She turned the water in the shower on as hot and as hard as she could bear and stepped into the stinging spray. Grabbing a bar of soap, she began to scrub at her skin until it was almost raw. "I'm not an experiment," she whispered fiercely. "I'm a person. I have just as much right to exist as anyone else." 

A sudden cold chill ran down her spine despite the almost scalding water pounding down on her back. _Run, run!_ a little voice was hissing. _You have to get out now!_ Too used to obeying her instincts, she jumped out of the shower, grabbing up a towel and hurriedly drying off. In the bedroom, she grabbed the first set of clothes at hand and dressed, totally unnerved. She had enough presence of mind to grab the case that held her supply of capsules as she bolted out the door of the house. Barefoot, she ran for the dubious safety of the forest. 

Incoherent terror snapped Piccolo out of his meditative trance. He instinctively assumed a defensive posture as his eyes snapped open. There ws nothing in sight. "What the hell?!" Then a great BOOM ripped through the tranquil night. An invisible fist squeezed his heart when he realized where the explosion had come from. "Kyrie…"

From her position in the thick branches of a nearby tree, Kyrie watched as her little capsule house went up in flames. _How could I have forgotten? _she wondered frantically as the house burned. _Why didn't I remember sooner??_

A singsong voice rang out over the crackling of the flames engulfing the house. "Evie, oh Evie, come out, come out, wherever you are. I gave you plenty of time to get out before I blew up your little house." A young man stepped out of the trees on the other side of the clearing, a rocket launcher still on his shoulder. 

He lazily surveyed the trees edging the clearing, a small, cruel grin pulling at his lips. "Eve, you had to know that sooner or later they'd send me to find you. Why don't you just come on out and save me the trouble of hunting you down. The more difficult you make this, the more… creative your punishment will be when I find you."

"Oh, shit…" she whispered, recognizing him even though she had only seen him once before. "Adam…"

************

"Eve."

Her head snapped up when the Doctor entered the small classroom. She sat aside the computer printouts that she had been studying and stood to face him. "Sir?"

He smiled thinly. "I see you're working hard as always. There's something I've been meaning to show you. Follow me." He turned and walked out, confident that she would follow.

Curious, she complied, keeping her face blank. Ever since she had found the computer records detailing the activities at the Facility, her hatred of the Doctor had grown. He was the focus for all of her anger, the person she held responsible for everything done to her. Only the fact that she had nowhere to go kept her from attempting to leave. But recently, she had been setting plans in motion that would get her out of here. It was only a matter of time. 

She had them all fooled. It had been about a year ago that he had caught her accessing the databanks and he had locked her in the Box for a week. They all thought that the experience had broken her, but it had only hardened her. The meek, obedient persona that she had adopted after her release, sobbing and trembling, from that three foot corner of Hell had served her well. She almost smiled, but managed to catch herself. 

She noticed that the corridors they were in were unfamiliar and she began to grow uneasy. Where were they going? She didn't recognize this part of the building. She hurried to catch up to the Doctor and entered the small elevator with him. The sinking feeling in her stomach grew stronger as they headed downward. When the car stopped, they stepped out into what seemed to be a control room. Several lab coated technicians nodded at the Doctor as he walked through, but most never took their eyes from the large window at the other end of the room. It was to this window they went. 

It looked down into an arena of sorts. A young man with blonde hair was fighting with three opponents, all of whom were larger and taller than the he. Over the speakers came the sound of combat, the dull smack of flesh striking flesh, grunts, and the occasional crack of a broken bone.

"Doctor!" One of the techs waved a sheaf of paper excitedly. "His reaction time is ten times faster than that of his opponents! Not only that, his physical strength is greater than theirs as well!" 

The Doctor nodded. "Eve," he motioned her closer. "I want you to watch this." She edged closer to the window, looking down. It was a sickening sight. One man was down, a gaping hole in his chest. Blood pooled beneath him. The second man hung back, his left arm dangling at an angle the human anatomy had never meant it to. The third was charging the teen, shouting something incomprehensible. A feral grin blossomed onto the boy's face as he deftly sidestepped and whirled to place a foot in his opponenent's back. The sound of his back breaking made bile rise in her throat. Swallowing quickly, she averted her eyes as he took down the last man. 

The Doctor grabbed her arm and led her to a side door that opened onto a short staircase. He gave her a shove and she was unable to catch herself as she tumbled down the stairs. The landing was hard enough to knock the air from her lungs. Gasping, she opened her eyes to find herself face to face with a bloody corpse. The scream was out before she could stop it. Scurrying to her hands and knees, she scrambled as far from it as she could get. A mocking laugh brought her up short. The boy was standing over her, grey eyes cold and flat. 

"Adam, meet Eve," the Doctor's voice came over the speakers, his tone amused. "I told you I would bring you a special surprise, did I not?"

"You did," Adam said, still staring down at the frozen girl. "And she's mine?" He was interruped by a moan from the man with the broken back. "Oops. I missed one." He grabbed her by the arm, smearing her with blood, and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon," he said with a grin. "You'll like this." He led her over to the prone body and knelt down, placing a hand on either side of the man's face. A twist and a quick jerk and it was over. Eve shivered uncontrollably. 

"It seems that Adam is a much better model than you turned out to be, Eve," the Doctor said. "He's stronger, faster, and most importantly, more obedient than you. But don't be alarmed. We still have a use for you. The two of you will be the foundation of our next generation of subjects." 

"You're kinda pretty," Adam remarked, his voice as emotionless as his face. He reached down and caught her chin in his bloodstained hand. The scent, together with the sights and sounds, became too much. Eve fainted.

***************

_No! Nononononononononono!_ was all that she could think. She couldn't move at all. Terror had her rooted in place and she could only watch as he called out to her. "Eve, you really don't want me to get angry, do you?"

A freezing tension suddenly relaxed in her chest and she shook her head. 'Eve' no longer existed. She had been left behind in the past. "I'll show you, you jerk," she fumed, clambering down out of the tree. She was becoming angry and she grasped the anger as a means to keep the fear from controlling her. 

His surprise was evident when she stepped out into the open. "Well, I had hoped to hunt you down," Adam said, carelessly dropping the rocket launcher to the ground. "It would have been more fun that way." He moved toward her and she slid into a defensive stance, hands raised. 

"I won't go back with you," she said softly, watching him carefully. He stopped, looking slightly puzzled. 

"But… you have to come back," Adam said, sounding surprised. "The Doctor wants you back."

"Tough," Kyrie snapped. "I don't have to blindly obey him any more. I'm free now. And I won't go back!!" On the end of the shouted words, she sprang at him, aiming for his face. To her surprise, he dodged her easily, grinning all the while. 

"I have to bring you back, Eve," he said, bringing up his fists. "Alive was all that was specified. If I have to beat the hell out of you to do it, that's fine by me." His left arm snapped out, catching her in the stomach. The air whooshed out of her lungs and she fell to her knees gaging. She barely managed to block the kick he aimed at her ribs. She rode the impact back, staggering to her feet. _Come on,_ she thought fiercely, _Piccolo taught you better than this._ She stayed ahead of his next few punches, but he slipped through her defenses and dealt her a vicious blow to the side of the face. Stunned, she fell down, hands over her face. 

She heard him laugh as he reached down and grabbed her wrists. He had at least a foot of height and a hundred pounds on her. Piccolo's words echoed in her head, _"When grappling with an opponent that is both larger and stronger, never let yourself be pinned."_ She stayed limp as he pulled her closer, releasing one wrist to catch her around the waist. The smug look of victory on his face infuriated her and she could feel the heat rising inside. This time, she welcomed it, knowing how to harness it. His face was only centimeters away—

"**I won't go back!!!**" she screamed, releasing the ki strike at point blank range. Adam's surprised cry was cut short as the force of the blast sent him flying backwards across the clearing. Kyrie was running before he even hit the ground. She fled into the welcoming darkness of the forest, never looking back. Her heartbeart thundered in her ears, deafening her to the sounds of the night. Panting harshly, she never felt the debris on the forest floor tearing into her unprotected feet. The stitch in her side was agonizing and the pain in her abused face throbbed in time with the rhythm of her pulse. And still she ran. She closed her eyes for a second, to blink away the sweat that was dripping down her forehead.

Then she hit what felt like a brick wall. She landed on her back, eyes wide open and staring. She was generating a hasty ki ball to lob at the figure before her when the hazy dawn light illumated his features. The ki ball sputted and died. 

"Piccolo!" she managed to choke out. She stared stupidly at the hand he held out to her. "I—I think I killed him!" She couldn't even managed to lift her hand to his. 

Piccolo frowned. What was she talking about? He stared down at the human girl shivering at his feet, taking in her disheveled appearance. When he saw the huge bruise already beginning to spread on the left side of her face, his eyes iced over. He knelt down slowly, reaching out for her face.

Kyrie couldn't stop herself from flinching when he touched her and the flicker of emotion that crossed his face made her feel petty and small. His fingers gently examined the bruise, turning her face from side to side, then slid away. She caught his hand in her own before he could move away, and pressed her face against his palm. 

He inhaled sharply at her actions. Then she opened her eyes and stared up at him, the trust evident. He swallowed against the lump that had materialized in his throat. "I'll go and check," he said gruffly. "See what happened." She nodded, letting go of his hand. He pulled off the long white cloak he wore and handed it to her. "Don't move. Wait here for me." She nodded, hugging the warm cloth to her chest. Piccolo gave her one last look then took to the air.

Seething, he streaked back to the clearing where the house had been. _The son-of-a-bitch responsible had **better** be dead,_ he thought savagely_, or by Kami, I'll make sure he'll regret this night. _When he landed, he could see where Kyrie had fought, but other than a broken bush and a few drops of blood, there was no trace of another person. 

__

(Next time: Kyrie's been tracked down, and it's a sure bet that the Facility isn't going to give up _easily! Will she finally 'fess all to Piccolo? And what happened to Adam??)_


	6. Part Six: Unexpected Complications

(Author's notes: Okay, here's part six 

(Author's notes: Okay, here's part six! Wow… maybe my muse IS a big green Namek. I've never gotten story parts out this fast! ^_^ Anyway, I left a message in the review section, asking if anyone would be interested in a mailing list to let you all know when I've posted something new. Now, it won't just be for _this_ fic, it'll be for all my fics. But, anywho, if you want to be included, send me an email at hana_noir@planetnamek.org Got that? NOT the email listed in my profile. So, thank ye kindly and keep reading!)

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Part Six

A DragonBall Z fanfic by Hana Noir

Kyrie wrapped herself in Piccolo's cloak and huddled against the trunk of a very large oak tree. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she tried to think about what had happened. How had they found her? And why did they send Adam after her? Surely he was too valuable for them to risk. He was their 'perfect model', so why would they chance anything happening to him? Unless… Could they be worried about her exposing them? She had made her escape seven months earlier. Surely they knew that if she had meant to do something, she would have done it by now. 

She rotated her shoulders, trying to work out the kinks from sleeping in the armchair. And the scabbed over scratches on her back didn't help any. They itched. And she couldn't reach them. Frustrated, she closed her stinging eyes, rubbing them with her fists. It had been a tiring day, followed by a restless night, then the fight with Adam… She probed her stomach with tentative fingers and let out a groan. She hurt all over. And she was exhausted as well. Her eyelids fluttered, then she jerked up. "I can't go to sleep," she said aloud. 

"No, that wouldn't be a smart thing to do," a deep voice agreed. She jumped, startled, then hissed when the quick motion jangled all though her abused body. 

Piccolo shook his head. "And I thought that I had taught you better than that."

Kyrie squinted up at him, the early morning sunlight dazzling her eyes. "I think you've been holding out on me," she complained. "Because I can't believe that Adam is stronger and faster than you are."

"Adam?" Piccolo frowned. "You know who attacked you?" He watched her closely, knowing that how honestly she answered his questions would determine how much she truly trusted him. 

She hung her head, sighing heavily. "Yes. He's from the Facility. Another of their _experiments_," she spat the last word out like it was obscene. Piccolo's obsidian eyes were cold as he listened. "He's their 'perfect model'." She shivered, remembering the last time she had seen him. "He's nothing but a highly trained killer." He could sense her revulsion and anger, but swirling underneath was a current of bone-chilling fear. "Did I… did I get him?"

He shook his head. "No. By the time I got there, he was long gone."

She closed her eyes, looking defeated, but then she started to climb to her feet. She stumbled and he caught her by the arm. "I've got to leave. He'll be back. They don't -- they won't give up. Especially now that he's seen me."

"Come on." Piccolo gathered her up in his arms, lifting her easily. "You're in no condition to walk."

She looked startled for a moment, then relaxed against him. "Thank you, Piccolo." She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I trust you, you know," she whispered. 

"I know," he replied, a bit surprised by the honest flow of emotions he could feel from her. "Try to sleep." He rose slowly, trying not to jar her.

She yawned largely. "I… I dunno if I can…" His arms tightened fractionally around her, making her feel protected and safe. 

"Try."

Adam was angry. And beyond that, he was confused. Why had Eve refused to come back with him? He wrapped another layer of gauze around the wound that she had opened on his right arm, then stretched out on the cot. And how had she managed to hurt him? He was stronger, he was faster. She hadn't even been able to touch him. He grinned as he replayed their fight in his mind. It had excited him that she had attempted to fight back. It was more fun when they fought back. Whining, crying and other feminine displays disgusted him. It had been going well until he had tried to grab her. That's when that—that light came out of nowhere and blasted him across the clearing. By the time he had gotten his bearings, she was gone. And by the time he had managed to stem the bleeding and follow, that really big guy had shown up. 

He frowned. Who was he? Another of the Facility's experiments? He hadn't recognized him, but he was sure that he wasn't quite normal. The green skin had been a BIG tip-off. And he had looked vaguely familiar. The mobile phone on the crate next to his cot rang shrilly and he winced, reaching over to pick it up.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Do you have her?"

"No, sir," he replied, grimacing. "She managed to get away. With help."

"Help?" the Doctor sounded slightly skeptical. "What kind of help?"

"A rather large person," Adam reported. "With green skin."

"I hope this is not an attempt at a joke. Because if so, it's rather poorly timed."

"Sir, you know I don't joke," he replied stiffly. "But there's another problem as well. Eve refused to come with me. She even attacked me!"

"So? I told you she was going to be uncooperative. Bring her in regardless. As long as she is alive and without permanent injury I don't care what you have to do. And if her mysterious green friend should interfere, you have permission to terminate."

Adam grinned. "Yes, sir."

Piccolo carried his limp armful to an old mineshaft in the nearby mountain where he stayed when the weather got nasty. He had never ventured into the dank recesses of the shaft, but right off of the entrance was a room that had obviously been used as an office of sorts. The door was still intact and the room was dry and draft free. He settled her in the corner and went back out to the mine opening to keep watch. His eyes were on the countryside spread out before him, but his mind was focused on the sleeping girl in the room behind him. He could feel the ebb and flow of her dreams as she slept, the emotions as loud as shouted words in an empty room. She was deeply disturbed.

She slept for about three hours, then joined him on the ledge that led out from the opening. The path that had once allowed miners to cart away their ore was gone, destroyed by time and the elements. The place was inaccessible by foot. Kyrie stared down the side of the mountain, eyes bleak. 

"I don't want to live like this," she finally said. "Running from place to place, looking over my shoulder, always wondering if they're right behind me. I just can't do it."

Piccolo glanced over at her. "So, what? Are you going to just give up?" the scorn in his voice was cutting, but underneath it was something closer to concern. "Let them take you? Be their toy for however long they let you live?"

Kyrie tilted her head to look at him. The ice in her eyes chilled him. "No way. No fucking way." Piccolo blinked at her uncharacteristically harsh language, but secretly he was amused at her defiance. "I won't be their experiment ever again."

"Then what?"

She smiled evilly down at the little capsule case that she had been toying with. "I'm going to go back. But on my terms."

Piccolo was taken aback. "Are you insane?? They'll kill you!" he shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a good shake. The case fell to the ground between them. She hissed as the motion jarred all the bruises and aches. He released her quickly, remembering her injuries.

"No," she ground out. He stepped back, a bit embarrassed by his outburst. Grimacing, she knelt down to retrieve her capsule case. "I'm going to make sure they never get the chance." She smiled, wryly this time. "I've got a demolitions capsule in here. It's packed with enough explosives to level the entire complex."

Piccolo blinked. "You've been carrying something like that around all this time?"

She shrugged. "Only as a last resort, I assure you." She sighed, stretching out her legs. Her bare feet were covered in scratches and bruises from her panicked flight through the forest. No wonder they ached. "I feel like someone's beat the crap out of me."

Piccolo was unable to muffle the laugh that comment provoked. Kyrie's eyes sparkled with mirth as she looked up at him. "You're a weird kid, you know that?"

She smiled, glad to have lightened the mood, even if only for a moment. "I try."

He sat down next to her, cross legged, determined to assist in her crazy scheme. "How are you going to do it?" 

She opened the capsule case and pulled out the blue striped capsule that held her lap top. She opened it and pulled up a series of schematics and pointed out an area in the underground portion of the complex. "Here," she placed her finger on the room, "is where they house the generators that power the entire building. In the next room is the fuel supply. If I can get in there and plant my capsule, I can blow the entire thing sky high."

Piccolo grunted skeptically. "I doubt they're just going to let you waltz in there."

"I know," she replied. "But I can hide the capsule. That's not a problem. The really hard part is going to be sabotaging their computer systems. I don't want their records to survive." She patted her laptop. "I've got a computer virus on here that will take care of that. The only bad thing is that it takes about twenty-four hours for the thing to infect the entire system." She closed it down and re-encapsulated it. "It'll be tough but I can do it."

"I could help you," Piccolo offered, staring out over the treetops, unable to meet her eyes as he spoke. It was still hard for him to admit to his feelings this openly. He was trying so hard to maintain his façade of indifference that he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt her leg press against his. He turned his head to find that she had scooted over next to him, sitting at his side. 

"I know," she said softly. "But I can't let you do that." She looked up at him, smiling gently. "This is my fight. And besides," she blushed slightly, turning her eyes back down to the ground. "You're the only person in this whole wretched world that I actually care about. If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself." 

He knew his mouth was hanging open, because he could feel a draft on his teeth. His brain was telling his jaw to move, but somehow, the message just wasn't going through. Finally, he managed to recover some of his composure. "I, um, I… Oh, hell," was what eventually stammered out. 

"It's okay," she said, grinning. "I wasn't expecting a declaration of undying love." She patted his knee, then leaned against his side companionably. Totally flabbergasted, Piccolo sat there like a granite carved statue. It took him several minutes to get over the shock of her words. In the meantime, she had folded her arms atop his thigh and rested her head there, using him as a makeshift pillow. It didn't take her long to doze off.

He stared down at the sleeping human girl, amazed by her generosity of spirit. Almost against his will, his hand came up to gently brush aside the strands of auburn hair that had fallen about her face. He sat there like that for some time, running his fingers through her silky hair, savoring the warm glow her words had given him. 

__

I didn't recognize the two men in coveralls staring down at me. Their rifles were pointed straight at my face. They looked scared. 

"Wha', wha' th' hell IS that thang??" the older one stammered out. I blinked. Thing? Were they talking about me? The younger man took a step forward, and prodded me with the barrel of the rifle. I didn't appreciate the gesture and I stood, fists clenching automatically. They both yelped and jumped back. They were still taller than I was, though, and the height difference wasn't reassuring. 

"I don' like th' looks of it, Pa. It's freaky," said the younger one. I took offense to that statement. Who were they to call me freaky? 

The older one got a shifty look in his beady little eyes. "Maybe there's some sorta re-ward for somethin' like it." I took a step back, then paused when the hammer on his rifle clicked back. Only my speed saved me when the rifle fired. I leapt for the younger one, who dropped his rifle and squealed like a stuck pig. I looked down at my small fist. It was covered in sticky red blood. The man's mouth opened and closed silently as blood gushed from the hole in his throat. Before he had even fallen, I was turning to face the older man. He was cursing fluently and struggling to reload his weapon. I drove my taloned fingers into his eye sockets. I felt a moment of disgust as his eyeballs burst and the fluid splattered me. My questing fingers found his brain and penetrated. He dropped like a sack of bricks. I fell back, panting heavily, watching him twitch and flop. It took several minutes for him to die. I stared at my gory hands, idly noticing the vivid contrast of the red blood with my green skin...

Kyrie jerked awake, breathing heavily. It had been such a horrifyingly realistic dream… She started to sit up, but was held down by the weight on the back of her neck. Her hands touched soft cloth and she realized that she had fallen asleep against Piccolo. It was his hand that was on the back of her neck. She managed to turn her head slightly and rolled her eyes up to see his eyes closed. His face wasn't all that composed, however. A faint sheen of sweat stood out on his forehead, and his breathing was irregular. 

It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Somehow, she had shared his dream. She frowned then. _No, not a dream,_ she thought. _A memory._ She shuddered. And she thought that her childhood had sucked. Her movement must have disturbed him though, because his eyes flew open and he looked disoriented for a moment. 

"Kyrie?" His voice was raspy from sleep. His hand lifted and she felt a moment of loss. 

She sat up, rubbing at her eyes. "I guess we both dozed off," she said, stretching. She winced when still sore muscles protested the action. 

"Yeah," he stood and stretched as well. 

She clambered to her feet, still somewhat shaky. He reached out to steady her. "Thanks," she said with a grin. He shrugged and dropped his hand. She felt a bit awkward after experiencing his dream and tried to act normally. "I'm starving! I could really go for a cheeseburger." She paused for a second, contemplating. "No, wait, some Twinkies! Mmm…." Piccolo grimaced at the idea of human food. 

"Jerk," Kyrie muttered, causing Piccolo to look at her curiously. "Just had to go and blow up my house. All my food was in there. None of my other capsules have food in them." He snorted at her pique. "Don't laugh," she warned, pointing her finger at him. "If I get hungry enough, I might just have to find out how much like chicken you taste." 

He was taken aback. "Chicken?!?"

She smirked. "Yeah, everything else tastes like chicken, so why not you too?"

He rolled his eyes. "There's a town on the other side of the mountain. Why don't I take you to get some supplies?"

She hesitated. "You don't mind?"

"If I minded, I wouldn't have suggested it in the first damn place," he snapped.

"Let me change clothes," she said quickly, hobbling back into the cave. 

Even flying, it took several hours to reach the small town. The mountains were higher than she had imagined. Piccolo landed gently in the wooded area outside of the town's borders. 

"I'll wait here for you," he said, leaning against one of the large trees surrounding them. There was a general store in the distance and Kyrie headed for it resolutely, ignoring the pain in her feet. 

She grabbed a cart as soon as she went through the doors and started piling non-perishable items into the basket. A strange feeling was making her skin crawl as she went through the store, though. She glanced up to see several people staring at her. They looked away quickly. This performance was repeated several time as she shopped. _What the hell's their problem? _she thought uneasily as she approached the register. She piled her purchases in front of the cashier, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the boy to ring it all up. She gazed around idly, surprising several more staring people. It was starting to severely piss her off. Then she noticed the bulletin board up next to the exit. Smack in the middle was a large flyer with her picture on it. Below, in large print, was the word REWARD. _Oh, shit… No wonder I was getting eyeballed._

She dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a wad of cash. Tossing it on the counter, she snatched up her bags and hustled for the exit. She walked briskly, acting as if all was right in the world, but inside she was trembling. _Oh, please, Kami, just let me make it to where Piccolo is…_ Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed several men casually heading in her direction. A little too casually. She stopped, pulling her capsule case out of her back pocket. There was an empty one inside. She activated it and began to store her bags, keeping one eye on the still approaching group. 

__

At least they let me pack my stuff, she thought bitterly as she put the capsule back in its place and closed the case. She stood and faced the men, smiling brightly. That seemed to confuse them, and they hesitated. 

Finally, one stepped forward. "Um, now, miss, we don't want no trouble. You just come on with us." She blinked. Well, at least they were polite. 

"Why?" she asked, looking as sweetly confused as possible. "Did I do something wrong? I paid for my groceries."

This was evidently not the response the vigilante group had been expecting. "Well, miss," said the spokesman, clearing his throat uneasily, "it seems that you're wanted by the authorities. So just come on and we'll get this all straightened out."

__

Yeah, right, she thought. _Pull the other one._ She took a step back and they moved to surround her. There were about twenty of them, all told. _Damn. I wonder what charges they made up? They act like I'm dangerous._ She slid into a defensive position, trying not to wince when her back and feet protested. _I'm going to need help…_

****

Piccolo!

The sound of his name pulled him out of his meditations and he glanced around warily. It had sounded like Kyrie, but he didn't see her anywhere. He rose up to his feet and then drifted upward. Something wasn't right. She should have been back already. Then he felt the pull of an unmistakable ki toward the town. He rocketed off to investigate. 

It didn't take him long to find her. She was surrounded by a group of people, all shouting and screaming. Six of the men were on the ground, dazed, but alive. She was blocking punches from another. 

****

I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I? he asked her mentally, laughing.

****

Hardy har har, was her sarcastic reply. **You should take that act on the road.**

He hovered high above, watching her, a smirk curving his lips. She had downed her last opponent and another had moved in to replace him. **You're not doing half bad, kid.**

****

I'm tired, I'm sore and I'm hungry. And YOU want to critique my performance??

You forgot pissed off, he added helpfully, unable to resist teasing her. He could hear her growl all the way up where he was waiting and he actually laughed aloud. Then something caught his eye and he blurred. 

The man aiming the pistol got the scare of his life when a large green being materialized in front of him. Piccolo's large hand shot out, grabbing the weapon and crushing it. The lump fell to the ground. People panicked and began to flee in terror. The burly man brawling with Kyrie hesitated and she kicked him in the chest. He staggered back, giving her a chance to run. She stumbled to Piccolo's side, breathing heavily. 

"Waiter, check please," she gasped, causing Piccolo to roll his eyes. With a malicious grin, he began to power up, causing dirt and debris to whip around dangerously. Kyrie covered her eyes, and raised her own ki to protect her skin. When the crowd was at a safe distance, he wrapped an arm around her waist and they shot off into the sky. 

He released her when they reached the abandoned mineshaft and she sat down heavily. "What happened?" he asked, pacing back and for like a caged tiger. "You were just supposed to get some supplies, not get lynched."

"Well, it's not like I planned that little party, you know," she shot back. "There were wanted posters up with MY picture on them. I think we both know who did it." She sighed heavily, leaning back against the cool rock behind her, closing here eyes. Piccolo paused, looking down at her. She was a pitiful sight, her face flushed and miserable, her clothes wrinkled and dusty. "Good thing Adam didn't show up. I'd've really been in trouble then."

Piccolo frowned at that name. "I think you should train for a few more weeks before you try anything. I could teach you a few more techniques."

She smiled wanly. "Not a bad idea, but I don't think I could keep Adam at bay that long." The silence stretched out for several endless seconds. "I'm going to contact him in three more days. By then, I should be ready." Piccolo wanted to protest but he could sense her determination. His eyes were bleak as he looked down at her. It seems that one way or another, he was going to lose her.


	7. Part Seven: Sorrowful Parting

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Part Seven

A DragonBall Z fanfic by Hana Noir

The time seemed to pass in an eternal second. Kyrie rested in their hideout, letting her bruises and scratches heal. It didn't take them very long. In the meantime, Piccolo worked with her on hand to hand techniques, concentrating on improving her speed and accuracy. 

"You're never going to be very strong," he cautioned her as they sparred. "But you can make up for it with your speed and flexibility." She nodded, blocking and darting around to hit him from behind. He stumbled, then recovered his footing, grinning. "Very good, just like that. And remember, anger can blind you. Keep your mind clear and you're ahead of the game." He stepped back, dropping his ki, signaling an end to their practice. She reached for the bottle of water leaned against the wall, gulping down its contents. 

She wiped her forehead on the sleeve of her shirt, frowning slightly. Last night, she'd experienced another of what could only have been Piccolo's memories. She had awakened in the middle of the night, crying out at the pain, only to find it was a dream. Even now, it made her blood run cold. She'd tried to ignore the phenomenon, but it was not all that easy. There had been a person in that dream, a young boy with dark hair. Someone important enough to die for…

"Piccolo, who's Gohan?" She clapped a hand over her betraying mouth, but it was too late. The words were out and there was no calling them back. Piccolo stiffened slightly, turning slowly to glare down at her.

"What makes you ask me that?" he growled, arms crossed over his chest. 

"I—um… Well, it's just that…" She floundered for several seconds before stammering out, "Well, I was just wondering, that's all, and I…" She sighed, hanging her head. "I saw him last night, in a dream I had, only…" She looked back up, meeting his eyes. "It wasn't MY dream!"

Piccolo blinked, trying to hide his shock and dismay. He had dreamed of Gohan last night, reliving the last moments of their fight with the invading Saiyajin. How had she known? He looked down at the disturbed face turned up to him, and felt an irrational anger building. How dare she invade his mind like that?? "What were you doing?" he snarled, leaning in toward her. She flinched, but held her ground. "Why were you where you had no business being?"

Kyrie had been startled when he had rounded on her, but righteous anger soon had her bolstered. She shot to her feet, getting right back in the Namek's face. "ME?? I didn't do a damned thing! I don't want your memories, you know. I have enough trauma to deal with carrying around my own, thank you very much! I don't need any more misery in my life. Keep yours to yourself!" 

With an incoherent snarl, Piccolo took off from the ledge, leaving her quickly behind. **_Running again?_** came that mocking voice in his mind.

"JUST SHUT UP!!" he shouted, the wind ripping his voice away. He accelerated again, the landscape blurring around him. _Why **am** I running away, anyway?_ he asked himself. _When have I ever ran from a challenge? I need to get to the bottom of this. If she's picking up on my memories, there must be a good reason why. _He paused, taking stock of his surroundings. He was over the deserts south of the mountains. He'd put a lot of distance between himself and the girl. And she could get into quite a bit of trouble in the time it took him to get back. That thought being the foremost in his mind, he poured on the speed to get back to the mountains. 

By the time he made it back, it was almost dark. The cave faced to the east, so it was completely shrouded in shadows. He landed on the ledge, glancing around for the girl. There was no sign of her. He checked the inside room, but it was empty. _She couldn't have…_ He strode out, heading for the crumbled remnants of the pathway. 

He narrowed his eyes and stared down the mountainside. After a few seconds, he spotted a small figure making its way down the rock face. _That insane child,_ he thought, taking to the air. _She's lucky to still be alive._ He reached her easily and hovered as she ignored him and dug her fingers into another outcropping. "What are you doing?" he asked.

She bared her teeth at him in a sarcastic grimace. "I'm tap dancing. What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" She tossed her head, flipping locks of her loose hair out of her face. "I'm not staying anywhere where I'm going to be bullied and intimidated. It's not fair of you to make me the scapegoat." She reached out for another foothold, swinging across a tiny opening in the rock. 

"You're right," Piccolo surprised himself by saying. "I'm sorry." 

She paused, looking back up at him, green eyes wary. "Really?" There was a vulnerability in her face that made him feel even guiltier. He held out his hand, waiting, his eyes never leaving hers. Finally, she nodded, reaching out for his hand. At the moment that their hands touched, the spur of rock beneath her feet gave way and she, off balance, fell. Right into Piccolo's waiting arms. 

"You always manage to catch me," Kyrie said, a hint of laughter in her voice. "Thanks." He blinked, unsure of what to say. She merely smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

Later that evening, after Kyrie had eaten and bathed, they sat out on the ledge, staring up at the stars. "It's pretty out here at night," she commented, stretching out on her back. "The stars are so bright. They look almost close enough to touch." 

"Hm," was his only reply. A bright streak of white fire danced across the sky and Kyrie laughed, delighted.

"Wish upon a falling star," she said softly, closing her eyes. Piccolo relaxed his mental shields enough to hear her unspoken words. _I wish… I wish I could be free to live in peace._ He also felt something odd. Her emotions were unsettled where he was concerned. He hastily re-enforced his shields, a bit disgusted with himself that he was stooping to mental eavesdropping. 

"I'm going to call tomorrow," Kyrie said, her words shattering the illusion of peace between them. "I'll arrange to meet Adam where my house used to be." 

Piccolo was unable to control the angry snarl pulling at his face. "I had hoped you would let me show you a few more ki techniques."

Her answering smile was both melancholy and wistful. "I would like that. But I don't have the time left. All my instincts are telling me now is the time. And my instincts are pretty reliable." She glanced over at him. "Would you mind taking me back there in the morning?"

It was on the tip of his tongue to refuse to aid her, but he couldn't do it. If there was one thing he understood it was taking your destiny in your own hands and refusing to let anyone else have control. "I will," he said gruffly. 

Her hand found his where it rested on the cool rock and gave it a bit of a squeeze. It surprised him that she touched him so easily, but it was even more of a surprise that he let her. In a way, he actually enjoyed it. "Thank you, Piccolo." With her hand on his, it was almost impossible for him to ignore her thoughts. There was more in her mind than she had said aloud and it made him want to smile. _Thank you for being my friend, thank you for caring about me in your own way. If only… _

_Yeah, _he thought, staring back up at the stars, _if only…_

********************

Despite her misgivings, Kyrie managed to sleep, and had no disturbing dreams, her own or otherwise. She woke suddenly, with none of her usual muttering and attempts to doze back off. Sitting up in the sleeping bag that was her bed, she felt her heart begin to speed up in anticipation of the day's events. At the same time, however, there was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

_I can't hide forever,_ she thought resolutely, gathering her clothes and getting dressed. By the time she had picked up everything and stored it away in her capsules, Piccolo was standing out on the ledge, arms folded and face expressionless. 

"G'morning," she said, blinking slightly at the bright sunlight. His reply was a muffled grunt. Kyrie sighed; it seemed he was going to be difficult. "I know you're not crazy about my plan, but—"

"Plan?" he interrupted. "Last time I checked the definition, a plan required thought."

She could feel her temper rising and started to snap back, but something made her hold her tongue. _He's actually worried about me and he doesn't know how to express it,_ she realized, shocked by the idea. She smiled suddenly, unbelievably touched. _Well, that makes two of us that have that problem._

Piccolo eyed her suspiciously when she smiled. He had been hoping that she would say something equally cutting and then they could have started an argument that would make her give up the suicidal path she was about to take. "What?"

She shook her head, still smiling. "Oh nothing. I just realized something, that's all." She looked down at the cellular phone in her hand and sighed. "I guess it's time." 

Piccolo frowned, beginning to say something, then he too sighed and he shook his head. "I can't stop you, I suppose." She gave him a sad little smile and began to dial. 

Adam was quite surprised when the cell phone in his pocket began to buzz. The only person with the number was the Doctor and he had said all he had to say earlier in the week. He pulled the phone out and pressed the button. "Hello?"

"I give up."

His eyes widened when he recognized the voice on the other end. "What a pleasant surprise, Eve. I won't bother asking how you got this number, though."

"Magnanimous of you," she replied, voice dripping with restrained sarcasm. 

"Think nothing of it," he replied in a similar tone. "What do you mean by 'give up'?"

There was silence on the line for a moment before she answered. "I'm ready to surrender myself."

Adam smiled rather viciously. "How nice. What changed your mind? Your little reception in town earlier in the week?"

"Among other things," she replied, still sounding a bit angry. He couldn't help but to laugh. 

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel of his aircar. "Surrender to the authorities?"

"No. That might lead to questions neither of us would want to answer. I was thinking you could meet me where my house used to be."

"I could do that," he said slowly. "But how do I know that you won't be waiting there to ambush me?"

"You don't," she replied smugly. "It's a question of how badly you want me, isn't it? Because this is a one time deal. A limited time offer of sorts." 

He hesitated, then thought of the punishments the Doctor would have for him if he failed in this assignment. He shuddered. Nothing she could have waiting there for him would be as bad as what the Doctor would do. "All right. When?" 

"I'll be waiting there for you. Oh, and if I see anyone with you, deal's off."

"Fine," Adam snarled, feeling as though he had just lost a fight. "I'll be there soon." Before she could reply, he stabbed the button, terminating the phone call. His finger hesitated over the button as he considered whether or not he should alert the Doctor. _No,_ he thought._ Not until I have her in custody. _

Kyrie disconnected the line, then tossed the phone over the edge. It tumbled, bouncing several times before shattering on impact with a large boulder. She glanced over at the still silent Namek and shrugged. "I don't want them to trace it." 

Piccolo nodded impassively, trying not to frown. His acute hearing had heard every word of the conversation on both ends. Adam was not a happy person. He was worried about what would happen when Kyrie was alone with him. His lip curled as he thought about the beating he would give the boy if he dared to harm her. 

"Piccolo?" He quickly looked up when she said his name. She was standing in front of him, her hands on his forearm. "Don't worry about me," she said, smiling bravely. He blinked. Since she was touching him, he could sense her thoughts and emotions even more clearly than before. She was lying to him; deep down inside she was terrified. He reached out slowly, uncertainly, and threaded his fingers through the loose hair at her temples. She stiffened at first, then relaxed, leaning into his hand. "I like it when you do that," she whispered, so softly that even with his hearing he could barely make out the words. "No-one's ever touched me like that before."

_And no-one else had damned well better,_ Piccolo thought fiercely, an acute pang of something he finally identified as jealousy stabbing at his heart. Stunned, he tried to rein in the strange emotions welling up in his psyche. Where did he get off being jealous? He had no right to at all! What was wrong with him? But he didn't drop his hand. 

The moment was finally broken when Kyrie stepped back. Her eyes were regretful when she looked up at him. "Will you take me back?" she asked softly. "I want to get there before him." _And I don't want him to see you. That way you'll be safe,_ was the unspoken end of the phrase. Piccolo's eyebrow ridge twitched slightly when he caught her thoughts. He only nodded, however, and wrapped an arm around her waist. He silently savored the contact as she slid her arms around his neck, but the trip was made harder by the tears she was keeping inside.

They both noticed the aircar approaching as Piccolo gently touched down in the deep forest near the clearing where Kyrie had once lived. The scent of burned plastics and metals still hung in the air and they could see the charred remnants of her little house on the other side of the clearing. She turned away resolutely, avoiding the sight. 

"There's not much time left," she said. "He's almost here. I've got to go." 

He caught her arm and held her fast when she went to move away. "Let me help you." He knew her answer, but he had to make this one last effort. 

She smiled, oh so sadly, and shook her head. "I can't let you do that," she whispered, her voice slightly choked. She glanced back at the clearing then turned back to him, head bowed. Her bangs hung down in her face, obscuring her eyes. "But thank you for everything, Piccolo." Without warning, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Her warm lips found his unerringly and startled, he stared at her closed eyes. A bright silver teardrop managed to escape and slide down her cheek. Its salt only added to the poignancy of the kiss. 

"Thank you," she whispered again, pulling away. Piccolo was amazed at how empty his arms now seemed. Frozen, he could only watch as she ran out to the center of the clearing. 

Seconds later, the aircar landed and a young man stepped out. He walked over to Kyrie, holding out a hand to her. Piccolo gritted his teeth at the negative energy he exuded; it was all he could do to keep from blazing into the clearing and beating the hell out of him. Kyrie ignored his outstretched hand and walked over to the passenger side. As the door opened, she glanced in his direction and their eyes met. He could feel her pain at leaving and he tightened his control over his emotions. She smiled again, then slid into the car. The boy glanced over as well, but didn't seem to notice anything amiss. The car lifted off and shot off into the distance. Piccolo waited only seconds before following.

__

(Author's Notes: Aauuggghh!!! Don't you hate that?? Cut off when it was just getting good! I am a bad bad fangirl. ::evil grin:: Don't worry though, part 8 is already in the works. For some unknown reason, part 7 was naughty and messed bady with what passes as my mind. This was a really hard part to write. I have trouble with transitional parts . Give me an action scene or a character development scene and I'm fine, tho… ::sigh:: Anyway, enough of my complaining. Write a review!! Let me know what you like, or don't like. All flames will be used to heat my computer room, however, and since my heater is more fuel efficient… don't bother! Just kidding. ^_^; Let me know what you honestly think. Ja, minna-san!)


	8. Part Eight: Perilous Return

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Part Eight

A Dragonball Z Fanfic By Hana Noir

Piccolo watched from the shadows as Adam drove away with Kyrie. His eyes blazed with anger but he had promised not to interfere. His lips were still warm from her parting gift, and he raised one hand to his mouth, as though to hold the sweet kiss there forever. He concentrated, focusing in on her ki and could feel her leaving the area quickly. _The boy must have a lead foot,_ he thought, smirking. It was a good thing that he had not taught her to conceal her ki. It would have made it much harder for him to follow her if she had learned that little trick. He took to the air, rising high enough to be undetected and gave chase. 

Sitting in the aircar beside the silent young man was excruciating. She tried to ignore the creepy feeling running up and down her spine. She KNEW that she was in a bad situation, she didn't need her instincts to tell her that. Adam kept glancing over at her as they drove and there was something in his gray eyes that unnerved her. It was an almost anticipatory gleam and she closed her eyes so that she didn't have to see him. She let her thoughts drift back to the surprised look on Piccolo's face when she had kissed him. She was glad that she had given in to the impulse. Whatever else happened, she would have that memory to hold close and savor. 

"We'll be home shortly," Adam finally said, flipping the car onto auto-pilot. 

"Home?" Kyrie couldn't keep from spitting out the word. "That place is no home. It's a prison, a cage for their human lab rats."

Adam shrugged. "So?"

Kyrie stared, appalled. "Doesn't it bother you that they're using you?"

He turned his head to look down at her. His eyes were so cold and lifeless that she shivered. "They use me, I use them We both benefit." He smiled then, mockingly. "They get their precious data, I get the enjoyment of the hunt... and the kill. And they find me so many tasty victims." His hand shot out and caught her by the throat. It had been so swift that she hadn't had time to block. "I think you'd be fun to hunt, Eve." He pulled her closer, ignoring her resistance. He studied her dispassionately, as a scientist would study an interesting specimen under a microscope. "But, the Doctor has other plans for you, so I'll just have to content myself with this." She flinched from the threat implied in his words and he smirked, bringing her even closer. "I wonder..." He brought his mouth down on hers, kissing her harshly. He tightened his grip on her neck when she fought him, holding her in place. He licked at her lips, then with a laugh, tossed her against the passenger side door. 

"Very sweet," he commented, still laughing. "But I'll wait. Anticipation only makes it that much better." Kyrie glared at him from her seat, too proud to let him see that she was scared. She was sure that there would be bruises on her neck from where he had grabbed her and the door handle had slammed painfully against her spine. The pain kept the fear from growing, though, and it also helped to make her angry. The anger helped her keep her focus. 

She noticed that the town they were going through seemed familiar somehow. Then she remembered. This was the nearest town to the Facility. Soon, they would be coming upon the innocent looking building. Ten minutes later, she spotted it in the distance. It was fairly innocuous in appearance, a three story gray brick rectangle with windows at regular intervals. But the first three floors were window dressing, camouflage for what was the REAL Facility. The underground complex was huge, easily three times that of the above ground structure. It went down another five floors and extended outward for almost a mile. It contained some of the most advanced equipment and minds known to mankind. The staff was entirely human; none of the other species on the planet had been selected for this location. Miles of chain link fence topped with vicious loops of barbed wire surrounded the entire complex, and the high voltage electrical current running through it ensured that there would be no trespassing. 

The guard came out from the guardshack as they approached, his hand casually touching the pistol on his hip. The message was clear: You'd better have good reason to be here. Adam reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a laminated card. By the time they reached the gate, he had the window down and the card held out. The guard approached, carrying some sort of portable scanner, and swiped the card. It beeped, the screen lighting up and the guard nodded. "If you would, please, sir," he said politely, holding out a keypad attached to the scanner. Adam sighed, bored with the check-in procedures and punched in a four digit code. The scanner beeped again and the heavy iron gates began to clang open. "Have a good day, sir," the guard said, trying to glance at the car's passenger without being obvious. Adam nodded and gunned the car through the gates. 

They came to a halt before the glass double doors that led into the lobby. "Welcome back, Eve," Adam said, his tone dripping with malice. _What have I done??_ Kyrie asked herself as she stepped out of the car, the building looming over her. Then, a strange sense of inevitability pushed aside all of her doubts and fears, and for the first time in several days, she felt at peace with herself. 

Piccolo watched from up above as Kyrie walked into the building. He could sense her emotions all the way up here. She was terrified, anxious, angry and resigned, all at once. Then a fatalistic sense of calm came over her as she disappeared inside. Piccolo gritted his teeth when he realized why. She was preparing herself for whatever was to come by disassociating from her emotions. What had happened to make her take such a radical step? He concentrated on the odd link between them, monitoring her mental state. He had been angry when he first realized that there was a link between them, but now he was thankful for it. Because she didn't have the skill to block him out, he would know everything that was happening to her. But it required determined focus on his part, which was why he hadn't been monitoring her during the car drive. He now regretted not doing so. From his vantage point among the clouds, Piccolo prepared to wait. 

Kyrie let her mind wander as the elevator took them down to the sublevels of the building. She could have sworn that she had sensed Piccolo's presence when she had arrived, but the fleeting impression seemed to have disappeared. The elevator dinged, startling her out of her thoughts and Adam grasped her arm to lead her out. She recognized where they were. This was where the Doctor kept his office. And that's exactly where they were headed. 

She felt as though she were six years old again when the door swung open and she saw the Doctor sitting behind his heavy desk. He was looking at her with a combination of contempt and disappointment. "It's good to see you again, Eve," he said as Adam brought her in.

"Wish I could say the same," she replied flippantly. Since no confessions of remorse or promises of cooperation were likely to be believed, she saw no reason to even try. The Doctor shook his head as he stood, coming around the corner of the desk to confront her. She met his eyes, noting absently that they were the same as Adam's, cold and lifeless. 

"I can see it's going to be harder to get you to go along with our experiments this time," the Doctor said. "Pity." He looked behind her at the silent boy. "But Adam here has ways of ensuring that you do." This time she saw the blow coming, and she blocked the Doctor's hand as it descended toward her face. A quick follow through, and she planted her fist in his stomach. Gasping, he staggered back against the desk. She couldn't help but to smile with satisfaction.

Sensing motion behind her, she ducked instinctively, and Adam's hand missed the back of her neck by centimeters. She dodged behind a chair, trying to maintain some distance. But the office was small and he was even faster than she was. He leapt the chair and caught her by the hair as she turned to run. 

"Hold her, Adam," the Doctor gasped, trying to catch his breath. Adam twisted her arms behind her back with one hand, keeping the other fisted in her hair. 

"Go ahead," he whispered in her ear as she fought. "I like it when you struggle." She froze immediately, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. She was so focused on the person holding her that she completely forgot the other presence in the room. A heavy fist slammed into the side of her face and she saw stars for a second. Adam's grip tightened on her wrists as the Doctor shook his head. 

"I don't like to have to resort to physical punishment, Eve," he said, still slightly breathless. "But in your case, I'm willing to make an exception." All the air whooshed out of her lungs when he punched her in the stomach. Before she could catch her breath, he hit her again, making her gray out for a moment. She sagged in Adam's iron grip, landing on her knees. He released her and she fell forward, barely managing to catch herself. The younger man grinned mirthlessly as he drew back his foot and kicked her squarely in the ribs. The force of the impact tumbled her to the floor and she instinctively curled into a ball. 

Gasping for breath, she tried to get her bearings, a tiny ki ball flickering to life in her right palm. She curved her fingers around the explosive mote and squinted against the tears in her eyes. Before she could throw it, however, an eerie siren began to howl, making both men jump.

"What the hell??" the Doctor swore, reaching for the phone on his desk. Before he could pick up the receiver, a uniformed guard burst in through the door, eyes wide and panicked.

"Sir!" he gasped out, leaning on the doorframe. "There's been some, some kind of explosion upstairs. H-half of the building is gone!!" A faint shudder made the items on the desks jitter. 

Kyrie's eyes widened at the news. _Piccolo,_ she thought. _It could only be Piccolo._ The ki ball dissapated and she grasped the side of the chair in an effort to stand. She closed her eyes, concentrating. She could feel his presense strongly now. He was angry, very angry. Furious in fact. She could visualize him clearly. His eyes were narrowed and focused, fangs bared in a feral snarl. He was systematically destroying the building above with precise ki strikes. People were running this way and that, panicked, screaming. The guards were firing their rifles in a futile effort; the bullets couldn't pierce his ki sheild. She focused harder and called out through their link.

__

Piccolo!

He never hesitated in his actions. _Hey, kid. I'll have you out in just a second._

What are you doing here?

You didn't honestly believe I'd just stand idly by while they beat you, did you?

Before she could answer, a hand fisted in her hair and pulled her head up. She bit back a groan and looked up through watering eyes at Adam. The Doctor was on the phone, barking out orders_. I need to plant the explosive, _she thought, remaining limp. _That's the only way to make sure the entire complex is destroyed…_

"Adam," the Doctor said, slamming down the phone. "Some… creature is attacking the building. Go upstairs and organize the guards. Take it down." He opened a wooden box on the desk and pulled out a sleek black pistol. "I'll escort Eve to a holding cell." He pointed the pistol at her and waved her toward the door. 

"I hope it's your green friend," Adam said with a smirk. "I'd like to see his face when I tell him what I've got planned for you." 

Kyrie couldn't help the smart aleck grin that pulled at her face. "Sure, you just go ahead and try it. Been nice knowing you." She jerked when the Doctor prodded her with the gun, stepping out into the hallway. But the half-puzzled, half-concerned look on Adam's face had been worth it. 


	9. Part Nine: Heartfelt Sacrifice

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Part Nine

A Dragonball Z Fanfic by Hana Noir

Kyrie walked slowly, limping slightly, wanting the Doctor to think she was hurt worse than she actually was. Every now and again, a lab tech or another worker would run past them, eyes wide and frantic. She waited until they were around the final corner, then turned with blurring speed, ducking past the gun and landing a powerful uppercut squarely on the Doctor's chin. He flew up into the air then crashed to the floor flat on his back, unconscious. She sneered down at him.

"Not so tough without your watchdog, are you?" she asked, kicking the gun away from his outflung hand. She reached up under her shirt, fingers searching for the tiny pocket sewn into the lining of her brassiere. Grinning, she pulled out the capsule hidden there. Now all she had to do was plant the explosives where they would do the most damage and get out.

Piccolo knew instantly when Kyrie had escaped from her escort. Pausing in his demolition efforts, he folded his arms and hovered over the smoking rubble, waiting to see where she would exit. His eyes narrowed when he saw a familiar person come out of the still standing double doors. _Just the person I wanted to see,_ Piccolo thought with a sinister grin. 

"Come on down," the boy called, taunting. "Or are you scared?"

Piccolo snorted. The day he was afraid of a cocky little pup like that was the day he'd give up fighting altogether. He descended slowly, his cape billowing majestically around him. "You think you can take me, boy?" he asked, his deep voice rumbling like thunder. 

Adam grinned widely. He was looking forward to this. The moment Piccolo's feet touched the ground, a dozen men armed with automatic rifles opened fire. Bullets pinged and hissed through the air, kicking up dust and dirt when they hit the ground. After several minutes of the intense barrage, Adam bellowed, "Cease fire!" The gunfire tapered off and the dust cloud began to settle. Piccolo stood there unscathed with a bored look on his face, a ki shield sparking and snapping around him. 

"I hope you can do better than that," he said, smirking. 

Face red with frustration, Adam snatched a knife out of the side of his boot. "Bastard!!" he shouted. "I'll kill you, but not before Eve sees you at my feet!! Then she'll have no choice but to stay with me." He brandished the knife and settled into a crouch. 

Piccolo eyed him with no small amount of condescension, hiding the fury that his words had provoked. There was no way in hell he'd ever let that little bastard near Kyrie again. "That's how you want to play? All right then." He extended his right arm, hand out flat and a knife appeared out of nowhere. A slightly smug grin exposed the tips of his fangs as he curled his fingers around the weapon. "It's been a while since I've used a weapon, but why not?" The two opponents began to circle warily, looking for an opening in which to strike.

Kyrie raced through the empty corridors, along the path she had memorized. She knew where she was going. All she had to do was get there. It seemed like it took forever until she reached the doors marked 'Power Plant'. She slapped the touchplate next to the doors and waited impatiently as they ground open. The smell of motor oil and machinery was everywhere. She clicked the top of the capsule and tossed it out into the middle of the floor. It expanded with a "BOOF!" to reveal a crate with extensive warnings stenciled all over it. She flipped the lid off, grinning as she pulled out a wad of plastique. 

"Ah, the joys of the Internet," she quipped as she began to rig the timer. "Everything from installing an electrical outlet to installing plastic explosives." She worked quickly, worried about what was going on upstairs. She set the timers for twenty minutes, then left the room. When the doors closed, she used a small ki ball to destroy the touchplate and sprinted for the elevators. She had just enough time to get out and warn Piccolo. 

Piccolo was enjoying himself. The boy was no slouch in the martial arts and he had actually managed to slash a jagged line across the front of the Namek's tunic. He had been restraining himself in order to give the kid a chance, but he could sense Kyrie had accomplished what she had came here to do and time was short. "Well," Piccolo said, dodging the blade once again. "You're not bad, boy, but I no longer have time to play." The knife in his hand disappeared and the air began to crackle as Piccolo's ki rose higher and higher. 

Angered by the perceived insult, Adam charged the larger fighter, only to be slapped aside like an insect. His face was a study in disbelief as he landed on the broken ground, one hand covering his throbbing cheek. "How… What??" he managed to gasp out.

Piccolo's ki rippled around him, random bolts dancing free to scorch the earth beneath him. He looked down at the fallen boy and shook his head. "You're outclassed, boy. It's a terrifying feeling isn't it? You have about as much chance of hurting me as a fly does." Red hot fury pumped through Adam, bringing him to his feet swinging. Piccolo merely dodged all of his attacks, an impassive look on his face. "I could take my time," he said calmly, "Break you down little by little, but I don't think I want to sink to your level." His hand lashed out, and caught the front of Adam's shirt. He brought the boy within centimeters of his face, snarling out, "Kyrie's terrified of you for some reason. I don't know why, nor do I care. But I'll make sure she won't have to be again." He drove his fist up into Adam's rib cage, feeling the bones shattering. The force of the blow sent his opponent flying through the air like a limp rag doll. 

"Piccolo!" 

He turned at the sound of his name and saw Kyrie racing out of the shattered building. She tripped over a jagged piece of concrete, tumbling to her knees before she could catch herself. "Damn it," he heard her mutter as she scrambled back to her feet. She dusted her hands and ran to him, smiling widely. "I did it!" she proclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing tightly. His arms went around her in an effort to keep them balanced and upright. "We've got to—" Her voice broke off with a choking sound and her eyes went wide. 

"Doctor…" she gasped, staring at the disheveled man kneeling next to the unmoving body on the ground. "Adam…" Piccolo grabbed her arms and held her fast. 

"You've ruined everything," the Doctor hissed. "You ungrateful little bitch! I gave you life, made you what you are, and you went and destroyed it all!"

"You made me!!" Kyrie screamed, straining against Piccolo's hold, wanting nothing more than to put her fist though his face. "You made me a FREAK!! What the hell gave you the right to play God?? Where do you get off?? And not just me, what about all of the others? The ones who were deformed by your experimenting?? And what about Adam? He didn't deserve what was done to him any more than I did. What happened here is YOUR fault!!"

The Doctor chuckled bitterly. "Adam deserved everything! He was perfect! The pinnacle of my work, the culmination of my vision of what the human race should be!!"

"He was nothing but your Guinea pig, you son-of-a-bitch!!!" Kyrie shouted, enraged to the point of tears.

"**He was my son!!**" the Doctor shouted back. "And you killed him!!" He brought up the pistol that he had been concealing, pointing it straight at Piccolo. "You and that green freak!!" He squeezed the trigger and time seemed to narrow and slow to a crawl. 

Kyrie twisted free of Piccolo's hands, and turned slightly, pushing him backward. He stumbled, off balance, and caught his foot on the chunk of rubble that Kyrie had tripped over earlier. He fell backwards, eyes frantic, knowing he couldn't catch himself. "NOOOOO!" his anguished bellow seemed to echo endlessly, imposed over the sound of the gunshot. He could see the bullet's path clearly as it zinged directly for his head.

Piccolo felt Kyrie's ki surge and knew instantly what she was doing. She flickered briefly, reappearing to intercept the bullet's trajectory and he shared her pain when the bullet pierced her flesh. She jerked, like a puppet who's strings had been tugged, her short hair fanning out around her face. 

****

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! 

The gun fired four more times, the bullets making her body shudder with each impact. Piccolo couldn't contain the scream building inside, **"AAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!!"** He crashed to the ground finally, his turban bouncing off his head as time resumed it's normal flow. Almost instinctively, he raised his hand and a massive, white hot ki blast enveloped the kneeling human before he could even react. Kyrie blinked, then began a slow slide to the ground. 

Piccolo rolled to the side, managing to keep her from hitting her head on another chunk of concrete. "Kyrie…" he whispered roughly, cradling her face in his hands. Her eyelids fluttered and she tried to smile. He couldn't help but to return it. 

"The explosives," she gasped, a trickle of bright red blood escaping the side of her mouth. "Get… away… Hurry…" Piccolo yanked off his cloak, wrapping her tightly in its white folds. He stood, holding her close, and lifted up into the air. Every gurgling breath she took made his heart twist. They were several miles away when the explosion shook the very air around them. Kyrie's mouth curved into a highly satisfied grin. 

"Got th' ba-bastards," she said smugly, her words barely audible even to Piccolo's Namek ears. He saw a clearing ahead in the trees and made for it, easing her down to lay in the thick grass. He kept his arms around her, her head resting on his chest. 

"Hang on," he said, worry and panic making his voice rough. "Just hang on for a few more minutes, Kyrie. I'll go get some senzu beans, and, and—" She placed a finger over his lips, silencing him. 

"I… I don't think so, Piccolo," she said, her eyes shining with tears. She shuddered again, and he grasped her hand tightly. 

"Damn it, Kyrie!" he said harshly, fear warring with anger as he knelt there, holding her tightly. "Why did you have to go and do something stupid like that?? Those bullets wouldn't have hurt me all that much!!"

"didn't… know…" she choked out, her fingers spasming against him. Gritting his teeth, he bowed his head to hide the moisture gathering in his eyes. One glistening tear won free and splashed onto her cheek. "oh, oh, no, don't cry… not… not for me…" Her own tears overflowed and the drops of sadness met and merged. She managed to sit up slightly, her hand fisting in the material of his tunic. "I don't regret what I did," she said, her voice strengthening slightly. "I acted to protect the person whom I—" She gasped again, coughing against the blood in her mouth. "I love…" she managed to get out.

"For the love of Kami!" Piccolo closed his eyes, trying to deny cruel fate. "Kyrie… I… I…" She smiled serenely and silenced him with her fingertips again. 

"we're… a lot alike you and I," she said, her voice faltering again, so that he had to strain to catch her words. "b-both of us, hiding our feelings, afraid of rejection… Isn't it funny that though we have different hearts, they shared the same dream?" 

"yes…" Piccolo said softly, his hand moving to stroke her hair. She smiled again, leaning into his touch. 

"I never told you," She closed her eyes briefly, then looked back up at him. "The time I spent with you, I was truly happy. I treasured every moment."

"So did I, kid," he replied. Acting on instinct, he brought his head down and touched his lips to hers. The salt of tears and the coppery tang of blood only added to the poignancy of the gesture. When they separated, he rested his forehead against hers, his antennae brushing her hair.

"My only regret," she whispered, her breathing becoming shallower. Piccolo's arms tightened around her in a futile effort to stave off the inevitable. "I never meant to cause you pain."

"It was worth it," he replied, realizing as he spoke that it was true. If he had never known her, his life would have been static, empty. He would have been going through the motions of his daily routine, but there would have been no joy in it. She had finished the lesson started by Gohan all those years ago. There was no shame in caring for another. Caring liberated rather than enslaved. 

"Pic-colo…" she gasped, her breath hitching. He felt her ki dwindling and opened up the link between them, letting her see the revelation he had just had. "I'm glad…just wish…." Her green eyes opened wide, astonished by something only she could see. "didn't end… like this…" Then, she sighed, her eyes sliding shut. One last tear slipped out and landed on Piccolo's hand. With a sound suspiciously like a sob, the Namek warrior clenched his fist around the tiny droplet. 

__

(Author's Notes: Don't lynch me yet!! It's not quite over! Read the epilogue! Oh and Cait ::sly grin:: I never promised a happy ending did I?)


	10. Epilogue: To Decide

Different Hearts, Same Dream

Epilogue

A Dragonball Z Fanfic By Hana Noir

Kyrie awoke with a start. _What a vivid dream,_ she thought, running a hand over the unblemished skin of her abdomen. Then she noticed the funny little woman floating atop a clear glass orb. 

"Welcome," the old woman said, smiling slightly. 

"Wha- wha-" Kyrie sputtered, completely confused now.

The woman merely shook her head. "It takes some getting used to, being dead that is," she said matter of factly, coasting over to look the startled girl in the eyes. Kyrie felt as thought her very soul had been examined. "I can see why he cares for you. You're a strong one." She snapped her fingers and a pile of material fell into Kyrie's lap. "Put that on." Feeling like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole, Kyrie complied, dressing in the odd toga-style gown. "Oh, by the way, my name's Baba," said the old woman, heading for a door that had just appeared in the door. "This way. Enma's waiting for you." 

Wide eyed, Kyrie stared at everything she saw with a childish wonder. Before too long, she found herself at a large desk, looking UP at the large demonlike figure seated there. 

"You're just a little bit of a thing, aren't you?" Enma said, chucking at the way she lifted her chin stubbornly. "You're causing a bit of a stir here, you know. Messing up my records something fierce." He frowned slightly. "Of course, Piccolo is more than slightly responsible as well." He tapped a finger on the pile of papers atop the desk.

Kyrie flinched when he spoke Piccolo's name. It hurt, hearing it. She missed him with an intensity that was startling. Enma and Baba exchanged a smug look at her reaction. It was working out perfectly. 

"Piccolo has gathered the Dragonballs," Baba said, her crystal ball flickering to life. Kyrie stared at it, fascinated. Then the picture in the ball came into focus. Piccolo stood atop the Tenka, a small glowing ball in one hand. At his feet were several others. "In moments," she continued, "He will summon Shenlon and make his wish. What happens next depends on you." Kyrie looked up, eyes narrowed.

"Me?" she asked, voice shaking. She was barely able to assimilate all that was happening, but she knew that something momentous was about to occur. 

"You," Enma replied, nodding. "You see, you're scheduled to be reincarnated. But Piccolo's trying to wish you back to life. So, Kyrie, you get something that most humans in your position don't. A choice. You can choose to be reincarnated and start all over. A new life in a new body. You'll remember nothing of this life and be given a fresh start. Or, you can be resurrected and go back to your old life. With all of your memories of pain and joy. Consider carefully, young one." He and Baba stood silent as she weighed everything that she had just been told. 

__

Do I want to go back? she thought. Her heart was telling her YES!! but her head was hesitating. She glanced over at the crystal ball again, at Piccolo. She could see the detemination on his face, in his eyes. But behind that was something else, a sadness that begged to be lifted. And it was that sadness that decided for her. 

Eyes shining, she lifted her head, meeting their gazes squarely. "I want to go back. I want to see Piccolo again." 

__

(Author's Notes: As I said when I started this, I had NO freaking idea where the story was going to go. I was as much along for the ride as you all were, dear readers. So, what next? is our question. I don't know, is my answer. Should I write a sequel? Let me know what you all think!)


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